#pine processionary

[dailybugfacts]

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TODAY'S FACT IS

Did you know that the Pine Processionary (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) is a species of moth native to the land around the Mediterranean? This species is mostly noted for its caterpillar behaviours. First, they are highly social and make nests together. Second, they work as a group to defoliate coniferous trees rather than leafy deciduous trees. Third, when the group decides to leave their tree, they travel as a group in a single file line like a funeral procession while they search for a place to dig and pupate. These are one of few known insects in their area that develop in the winter.

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Photo by Murielle Desrois

[raspberryrose6]

Pine caterpillars 🐛

[ill337erate]

Today I saw some pine processionary caterpillars! Yes, this is a conga line of caterpillars, and this behavior is what they’re named after. Unfortunately their urticating hairs make them a danger to children and pet dogs, as they can cause anaphylactic shock or even tissue necrosis. Because of this and their ability to devastate pine trees, they’re often considered a pest species. Pine processionary caterpillars spend the winter in communal nests made of silk, which they build on pine trees. Then when the weather warms up they come down and march in conga line formations, looking for a place where they can dig and pupate. The adult moths come out in the summer and live for a single day!

[rivieredecorps]

[biosemiotica]

The pine processionary moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa)

[ukdamo]

Today’s Flickr photo with the most hits: Pine Processionary Caterpillars do their thing in Park Guell, Barcelona

[stjon-blog]

Pine processionary

[casperjpg-blog]

Thaumetopoea pityocampa