[The brown-tail moth of Bombyx Euproctis chrysorrhoea L. (Lepidoptera) responsible for lepidopterism in France: biological interpretation].

A scanning electron microscope study has enabled an explanation as to why the brown-tail moth provokes Lepidopterism. The brown-tail moth only provokes Lepidopterism via a transmission of the urticating hairs of its caterpillar. Urticating moths (genus Hylesia and Anaphae) protect their eggs and young caterpillars with urticating hairs, thus it is very ambiguous to label erucism as the contact dermatitis produced by caterpillar production or Lepidopterism as the contact dermatitis caused by moth urticating hairs.