Notodontidae : Thaumetopoeinae
Pine Processionary
THAUMETOPOEA pityocampa ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
Pine Processionary
THAUMETOPOEA pityocampa ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
Kind permission - © Tim Norriss
Life Cycle Guide - Europe
Description
Wingspan: Male - 31 - 39mm Female - 36 - 49mm
Worldwide Distribution: Southern Europe - established in (Albania, Algeria, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France (including Corsica), Greece (including Crete), Hungary, Italy (including Sardinia and Sicily), Libya, Macedonia, Montenegro, Morocco, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain (including the Balearic Islands), Switzerland, Syria and Tunisia) to Turkey & N Africa
UK Distribution: Immigrant from southern Europe into southern England
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Pine Forests
Similar Species -
Pupa: Pupates in soil. Pupal stage can be dormant extending the life cycle over two years
Overwinters as: Larva
Observations: The vernacular name for this moth is derived from the marching in line or in "procession" habit of the larvae to feed and eventually to disperse to pupate.
The larvae should under no circumstances be touched due to the hairs which are used as a defence mechanism causing severe irritation of the skin and a possible allergic reaction in humans. The larvae can cause extreme damage to the trees making it a pest in some areas.
This moth was firstly found in this country in the larval stage when a population of larvae were found in a UK nursery on Scots Pine imported for Italy in 1995.The affected trees and soil were treated and subsequent tests did not detect any larvae.
An adult moth was caught in a moth trap in Berkshire back in 1966 but the origin of the moth was never traced.
Although similar to both the Oak Processionary and Pale Eggar this moth can be identified by the strong "comma" shaped mark which appears in the centre of the forewing.
Moth is attracted to light,especially the male
Worldwide Distribution: Southern Europe - established in (Albania, Algeria, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France (including Corsica), Greece (including Crete), Hungary, Italy (including Sardinia and Sicily), Libya, Macedonia, Montenegro, Morocco, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain (including the Balearic Islands), Switzerland, Syria and Tunisia) to Turkey & N Africa
UK Distribution: Immigrant from southern Europe into southern England
UK Conservation Status -
- Vagrant/Accidental
- Least Concern
- Phalaena (Bombyx) pityocampa ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
- Phalaena processionea Linnaeus, 1758
- Austria - Vienna Region
Habitat: Pine Forests
Similar Species -
- Oak Processionary - Thaumetopoea processionea - (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Pale Eggar - Trichiura crataegi - (Linnaeus, 1758)
Pupa: Pupates in soil. Pupal stage can be dormant extending the life cycle over two years
Overwinters as: Larva
Observations: The vernacular name for this moth is derived from the marching in line or in "procession" habit of the larvae to feed and eventually to disperse to pupate.
The larvae should under no circumstances be touched due to the hairs which are used as a defence mechanism causing severe irritation of the skin and a possible allergic reaction in humans. The larvae can cause extreme damage to the trees making it a pest in some areas.
This moth was firstly found in this country in the larval stage when a population of larvae were found in a UK nursery on Scots Pine imported for Italy in 1995.The affected trees and soil were treated and subsequent tests did not detect any larvae.
An adult moth was caught in a moth trap in Berkshire back in 1966 but the origin of the moth was never traced.
Although similar to both the Oak Processionary and Pale Eggar this moth can be identified by the strong "comma" shaped mark which appears in the centre of the forewing.
Moth is attracted to light,especially the male
Photo Gallery
Larval Nest
Larval Food Plants Worldwide
Note - Plants hyperlinked in red below take the visitor to the relevant plant page on"Plants for a Future" website where further information like photos,physical characteristics,habitats,edible uses,medicinal uses,cultivation,propagation,range,height etc. are clearly listed.
Plant Families - in bold red below takes the visitor to the relevant "Lepi-plants" page where other butterflies & moths using the plants below are listed.
Plant Families - in bold red below takes the visitor to the relevant "Lepi-plants" page where other butterflies & moths using the plants below are listed.
- Pinaceae - Pine Family
- Larix decidua - Larch
- Larix kaempferi - Japanese Larch
- Pinus halepensis - Aleppo Pine
- Pinus nigra ssp laricio - Corsican Pine
- Pinus pinaster - Maritime Pine
- Pinus pinea - Italian Stone Pine, Umbrella Pine, Stone Pine
- Pinus sylvestris - Scot's Pine
Larval Food Plants
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Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species THAUMETOPOEA: Original Species Name: Species Names: Genus Names: Literary Ref: Type Locality: Subspecies: Forms: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Noctuoidea Notodontidae Thaumetopoeinae THAUMETOPOEA Hübner, [1820] Thaumetopoea pityocampa ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) - Phalaena processionea Linnaeus, 1758 - PHALAENA (Bombyx) pityocampa ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) = nigra Bang-Haas, 1910 = obscura Vorbrodt & Müller-Rutz, 1914 = convergens Dannehl, 1925 = bicolor Reisser, 1928 = pujoli Agenjo, 1941 = cancioi Agenjo, 1941 = clara Agenjo, 1941 = vareai Agenjo, 1941 = galaica Palanca Soler & Castan Lanaspa & Calle Pascual, 1982 - THAUMETOPOEA Hübner, [1820] = Helianthocampa de Freina & Witt 1985 = Traumatocampa Wallengreen 1871 - Ankündung eines systematischen Werkes von den Schmetterlingen der Wienergegend ; Title Page : p.58 - n.11 - Austria - Vienna Region - T.p.orana Staudinger, 1901 - north Africa - Lighter grey with more sturdy flight - T.p.f.nigra Bang-Haas, 1910 - smokey background |
