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Jackfruit tree Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. (Rosales: Moraceae), is a species native to Asia, whose fruits are consumed for their flavor and nutritional content, in addition to its wood being used in cabinetmaking and for the crafting of musical instruments. This plant is present in several Neotropical countries and about which there are reports of some species of pest insects; However, in raids carried out on a plot of approximately 7,500 m2 in the process of adaptation for the agroecological production of fruit trees, located in Bagala, district of Boqueron, Chiriqui, Panama, the presence of many caterpillars provided with stinging spines (which can affect people's health) feeding on the foliage of A. heterophyllus was observed, so the aim of this work was to identify the said insect species and to determine if it is a pest of the crop. The study was conservationist, descriptive and exploratory in nature. The specimens were photographed in the field to observe in detail external morphological characters of the caterpillars (pigmentation and shape of the scoli, mainly) and specialized literature was consulted to confirm the identity of the insect. The results reflected that the stinging caterpillars correspond to Automeris metzli (Sallé, 1853) (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae), a polyphagous species with wide distribution in the province of Chiriquí and which affects other crops such as coconut and pigeon pea; However, this is a new report as a potential pest of A. heterophyllus.
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