Local Pest have
deveoped a reputation second to none for the treatment of some of the
most dangerous pests in southern spain, including snakes and hornets.
But the pine processionary is potentially the most dangerous of all to
both you, your family and pets. DO NOT IGNORE THEM>
The Pine Processionary is a moth seen in countries of southern Europe.
The urticating hairs of the caterpillar larvae cause harmful reactions
in humans and other mammals. The species is notable for the behaviour of
its caterpillars, which overwinter in tent-like nests high in pine
trees, and which process through the woods in nose-to-tail columns,
protected by their severely irritating hairs
Egg
The typical cylindrical egg masses range in length from 4 to 5 cm.
They are covered with the scales of the female anal tuft, which mimics
the pine shoots.
Adult
The Pine Processionary adult has cream coloured forewings with brown
markings, and white hindwings. The female moth has a wing-span of 36 –
49 mm while the male is 31 – 39 mm.The species flies from May to July.
Pupa
Pupation takes place in the soil in an oval, ocheous-white silken
cocoon. The obtect pupae are about 20 mm in length, oval, and of a pale
brownish-yellow colour that later changes to dark reddish-brown.
Larva
'Tent' made by larvae in pine tree; frass collects at the bottom of the tent
The larva is a major forest pest, living communally in large "tents", usually in pine trees but occasionally in cedar or larch,
marching out at night in single file (hence the common name) to feed on
the needles. There are often several such tents in a single tree. When
they are ready to pupate, the larvae march in their usual fashion to the ground, where they disperse to pupate singly on or just below the surface.
The larvae should never be handled as the abundant hairs on their bodies cause extreme irritation (urticaria) to the skin 5th stage larvae can eject hairs when threatened or stressed; the
hairs, which have the form of harpoons, then penetrate and irritate all
areas of exposed skin nearby with an urticating protein. Allergic reactions may follow in susceptible individuals on subsequent exposure to the hairs.
Fabre conducted a famous study on the processionary pine larvae where
a group of them were attached nose-to-tail in a circle with food just
outside the circle; they continued marching in the circle for a week.The caterpillars may follow a trail of pheromones
or silk, but the main stimuli that induce following are from the hairs
(setae) on the end of the abdomen of the caterpillar in front. The ant mill is a similar phenomenon.
Life cycle
The life cycle of the pine processionary is normally annual but may
extend over 2 years at high altitude or in northern latitudes for part
or the whole of the population. The life cycle has two phases, the
adult, egg and caterpillar being aerial and the pupa hypogeal.Moths lay
their eggs high on pine trees. After hatching, the larvae go through
five instars, eating pine needles. They build white silken nests are
built to maintain ideal living conditions. Around the end of March the
caterpillars are ready to leave their nests and move down the tree in a
characteristic procession. They dig underground and pupate, emerging at
the end of the summer. High numbers of adults are produced in years with a warm spring.
Shelter building
The caterpillars are highly social. At first they are nomadic,
spinning and abandoning a series of flimsy shelters constructed by
enveloping a few needles in silk but in the third instar they initiate
the construction of a permanent nest and settle down to become central
place foragers. There are no definitive openings in the shelter that
allow the caterpillars to enter and exit. Rather, the caterpillars force
their way through the layers of the shelter as they move in and out.
The frass that is produced as the caterpillars process their meals
accumulates at the bottom of the shelter.
Midwinter foraging and thermoregulation
Colonies are active throughout the winter months. Activity records of
colonies foraging in pine forests in mountainous regions near
Barcelona, Catalonia, obtained with infrared activity monitors, show
that the caterpillars leave their nests soon after sunset and travel to
distant feeding sites located on the branches of the host tree. Here
they feed overnight then return to the nest at dawn. Observations in
mid-winter show that the caterpillars forage on the coldest of nights
and are able to locomote, albeit very slowly, at sub-zero temperatures.
The permanent nests are typically sited to intercept solar radiation and
during sunny days warm to well above ambient temperatures. The
caterpillars rest in the nest during the day and at the elevated body
temperatures they experience due to heating of the nest by the sun are
able to efficiently digest the food they collect overnight. By March the
caterpillars are in the fifth instar and are fully grown. At this time
the leave their nest, following each other in long head to tail
processions and seek out pupation sites in the soil.
Trail marking and processionary behaviour
The caterpillars lay down a pheromone trail from the tip of the
abdomen as they advance over the branches of the host tree. Although the
caterpillars also secrete silk and mark their pathways with the
material, it plays little or no role in trail following. Most likely,
silk helps the caterpillars grip on smooth plant surfaces. The
caterpillars can distinguish old from new trails. Caterpillars
preferentially follow trails marked by larger numbers of caterpillars.
Trail marking enables the caterpillars to aggregate at feeding sites and
allows them to find their way back to nest after feeding. When they
move over the branches, caterpillars may travel head to tail in small
groups or alone. In either case, they rely on the trail marker to find
their way.
The most spectacular processions are formed when the caterpillars are
fully grown and abandon the host tree in search of pupation sites, when
as many as three hundred caterpillars may travel long distances from
the natal tree looking for soft soil in which to bury themselves and
form cocoons. During processions, stimuli from setae on the tip of the
abdomen of the caterpillar in front serve to hold processions together,
taking priority over the trail pheromone or silk. A caterpillar can
readily be induced to follow a model made of a wooden dowel covered with
the integument of the abdomen of a killed caterpillar.
Anti-predator defence
The caterpillars of the pine processionary are highly urticating in
the third and subsequent instars. Contact with the hairs causes skin
rashes and eye irritations. Susceptible individuals may also develop an
allergic response to a protein associated with the hairs of the
caterpilla
The
Caterpillar is seen up and down the Costa Del Sol and require regular
and correct treatment. Call Now 952449591 or visit the website www.costapestsolutons.com call and ask for me my name is Gray.
Local Pest have
deveoped a reputation second to none for the treatment of some of the
most dangerous pests in southern spain, including snakes and hornets.
But the pine processionary is potentially the most dangerous of all to
both you, your family and pets. DO NOT IGNORE THEM>
The Pine Processionary is a moth seen in countries of southern Europe.
The urticating hairs of the caterpillar larvae cause harmful reactions
in humans and other mammals. The species is notable for the behaviour of
its caterpillars, which overwinter in tent-like nests high in pine
trees, and which process through the woods in nose-to-tail columns,
protected by their severely irritating hairs
Egg
The typical cylindrical egg masses range in length from 4 to 5 cm.
They are covered with the scales of the female anal tuft, which mimics
the pine shoots.
Adult
The Pine Processionary adult has cream coloured forewings with brown
markings, and white hindwings. The female moth has a wing-span of 36 –
49 mm while the male is 31 – 39 mm.The species flies from May to July.
Pupa
Pupation takes place in the soil in an oval, ocheous-white silken
cocoon. The obtect pupae are about 20 mm in length, oval, and of a pale
brownish-yellow colour that later changes to dark reddish-brown.
Larva
'Tent' made by larvae in pine tree; frass collects at the bottom of the tent
The larva is a major forest pest, living communally in large "tents", usually in pine trees but occasionally in cedar or larch,
marching out at night in single file (hence the common name) to feed on
the needles. There are often several such tents in a single tree. When
they are ready to pupate, the larvae march in their usual fashion to the ground, where they disperse to pupate singly on or just below the surface.
The larvae should never be handled as the abundant hairs on their bodies cause extreme irritation (urticaria) to the skin 5th stage larvae can eject hairs when threatened or stressed; the
hairs, which have the form of harpoons, then penetrate and irritate all
areas of exposed skin nearby with an urticating protein. Allergic reactions may follow in susceptible individuals on subsequent exposure to the hairs.
Fabre conducted a famous study on the processionary pine larvae where
a group of them were attached nose-to-tail in a circle with food just
outside the circle; they continued marching in the circle for a week.The caterpillars may follow a trail of pheromones
or silk, but the main stimuli that induce following are from the hairs
(setae) on the end of the abdomen of the caterpillar in front. The ant mill is a similar phenomenon.
Life cycle
The life cycle of the pine processionary is normally annual but may
extend over 2 years at high altitude or in northern latitudes for part
or the whole of the population. The life cycle has two phases, the
adult, egg and caterpillar being aerial and the pupa hypogeal.Moths lay
their eggs high on pine trees. After hatching, the larvae go through
five instars, eating pine needles. They build white silken nests are
built to maintain ideal living conditions. Around the end of March the
caterpillars are ready to leave their nests and move down the tree in a
characteristic procession. They dig underground and pupate, emerging at
the end of the summer. High numbers of adults are produced in years with a warm spring.
Shelter building
The caterpillars are highly social. At first they are nomadic,
spinning and abandoning a series of flimsy shelters constructed by
enveloping a few needles in silk but in the third instar they initiate
the construction of a permanent nest and settle down to become central
place foragers. There are no definitive openings in the shelter that
allow the caterpillars to enter and exit. Rather, the caterpillars force
their way through the layers of the shelter as they move in and out.
The frass that is produced as the caterpillars process their meals
accumulates at the bottom of the shelter.
Midwinter foraging and thermoregulation
Colonies are active throughout the winter months. Activity records of
colonies foraging in pine forests in mountainous regions near
Barcelona, Catalonia, obtained with infrared activity monitors, show
that the caterpillars leave their nests soon after sunset and travel to
distant feeding sites located on the branches of the host tree. Here
they feed overnight then return to the nest at dawn. Observations in
mid-winter show that the caterpillars forage on the coldest of nights
and are able to locomote, albeit very slowly, at sub-zero temperatures.
The permanent nests are typically sited to intercept solar radiation and
during sunny days warm to well above ambient temperatures. The
caterpillars rest in the nest during the day and at the elevated body
temperatures they experience due to heating of the nest by the sun are
able to efficiently digest the food they collect overnight. By March the
caterpillars are in the fifth instar and are fully grown. At this time
the leave their nest, following each other in long head to tail
processions and seek out pupation sites in the soil.
Trail marking and processionary behaviour
The caterpillars lay down a pheromone trail from the tip of the
abdomen as they advance over the branches of the host tree. Although the
caterpillars also secrete silk and mark their pathways with the
material, it plays little or no role in trail following. Most likely,
silk helps the caterpillars grip on smooth plant surfaces. The
caterpillars can distinguish old from new trails. Caterpillars
preferentially follow trails marked by larger numbers of caterpillars.
Trail marking enables the caterpillars to aggregate at feeding sites and
allows them to find their way back to nest after feeding. When they
move over the branches, caterpillars may travel head to tail in small
groups or alone. In either case, they rely on the trail marker to find
their way.
The most spectacular processions are formed when the caterpillars are
fully grown and abandon the host tree in search of pupation sites, when
as many as three hundred caterpillars may travel long distances from
the natal tree looking for soft soil in which to bury themselves and
form cocoons. During processions, stimuli from setae on the tip of the
abdomen of the caterpillar in front serve to hold processions together,
taking priority over the trail pheromone or silk. A caterpillar can
readily be induced to follow a model made of a wooden dowel covered with
the integument of the abdomen of a killed caterpillar.
Anti-predator defence
The caterpillars of the pine processionary are highly urticating in
the third and subsequent instars. Contact with the hairs causes skin
rashes and eye irritations. Susceptible individuals may also develop an
allergic response to a protein associated with the hairs of the
caterpilla
The
Caterpillar is seen up and down the Costa Del Sol and require regular
and correct treatment. Call Now 952449591 or visit the website www.costapestsolutons.com call and ask for me my name is Gray.
Local Pest have
deveoped a reputation second to none for the treatment of some of the
most dangerous pests in southern spain, including snakes and hornets.
But the pine processionary is potentially the most dangerous of all to
both you, your family and pets. DO NOT IGNORE THEM>
The Pine Processionary is a moth seen in countries of southern Europe.
The urticating hairs of the caterpillar larvae cause harmful reactions
in humans and other mammals. The species is notable for the behaviour of
its caterpillars, which overwinter in tent-like nests high in pine
trees, and which process through the woods in nose-to-tail columns,
protected by their severely irritating hairs
Egg
The typical cylindrical egg masses range in length from 4 to 5 cm.
They are covered with the scales of the female anal tuft, which mimics
the pine shoots.
Adult
The Pine Processionary adult has cream coloured forewings with brown
markings, and white hindwings. The female moth has a wing-span of 36 –
49 mm while the male is 31 – 39 mm.The species flies from May to July.
Pupa
Pupation takes place in the soil in an oval, ocheous-white silken
cocoon. The obtect pupae are about 20 mm in length, oval, and of a pale
brownish-yellow colour that later changes to dark reddish-brown.
Larva
'Tent' made by larvae in pine tree; frass collects at the bottom of the tent
The larva is a major forest pest, living communally in large "tents", usually in pine trees but occasionally in cedar or larch,
marching out at night in single file (hence the common name) to feed on
the needles. There are often several such tents in a single tree. When
they are ready to pupate, the larvae march in their usual fashion to the ground, where they disperse to pupate singly on or just below the surface.
The larvae should never be handled as the abundant hairs on their bodies cause extreme irritation (urticaria) to the skin 5th stage larvae can eject hairs when threatened or stressed; the
hairs, which have the form of harpoons, then penetrate and irritate all
areas of exposed skin nearby with an urticating protein. Allergic reactions may follow in susceptible individuals on subsequent exposure to the hairs.
Fabre conducted a famous study on the processionary pine larvae where
a group of them were attached nose-to-tail in a circle with food just
outside the circle; they continued marching in the circle for a week.The caterpillars may follow a trail of pheromones
or silk, but the main stimuli that induce following are from the hairs
(setae) on the end of the abdomen of the caterpillar in front. The ant mill is a similar phenomenon.
Life cycle
The life cycle of the pine processionary is normally annual but may
extend over 2 years at high altitude or in northern latitudes for part
or the whole of the population. The life cycle has two phases, the
adult, egg and caterpillar being aerial and the pupa hypogeal.Moths lay
their eggs high on pine trees. After hatching, the larvae go through
five instars, eating pine needles. They build white silken nests are
built to maintain ideal living conditions. Around the end of March the
caterpillars are ready to leave their nests and move down the tree in a
characteristic procession. They dig underground and pupate, emerging at
the end of the summer. High numbers of adults are produced in years with a warm spring.
Shelter building
The caterpillars are highly social. At first they are nomadic,
spinning and abandoning a series of flimsy shelters constructed by
enveloping a few needles in silk but in the third instar they initiate
the construction of a permanent nest and settle down to become central
place foragers. There are no definitive openings in the shelter that
allow the caterpillars to enter and exit. Rather, the caterpillars force
their way through the layers of the shelter as they move in and out.
The frass that is produced as the caterpillars process their meals
accumulates at the bottom of the shelter.
Midwinter foraging and thermoregulation
Colonies are active throughout the winter months. Activity records of
colonies foraging in pine forests in mountainous regions near
Barcelona, Catalonia, obtained with infrared activity monitors, show
that the caterpillars leave their nests soon after sunset and travel to
distant feeding sites located on the branches of the host tree. Here
they feed overnight then return to the nest at dawn. Observations in
mid-winter show that the caterpillars forage on the coldest of nights
and are able to locomote, albeit very slowly, at sub-zero temperatures.
The permanent nests are typically sited to intercept solar radiation and
during sunny days warm to well above ambient temperatures. The
caterpillars rest in the nest during the day and at the elevated body
temperatures they experience due to heating of the nest by the sun are
able to efficiently digest the food they collect overnight. By March the
caterpillars are in the fifth instar and are fully grown. At this time
the leave their nest, following each other in long head to tail
processions and seek out pupation sites in the soil.
Trail marking and processionary behaviour
The caterpillars lay down a pheromone trail from the tip of the
abdomen as they advance over the branches of the host tree. Although the
caterpillars also secrete silk and mark their pathways with the
material, it plays little or no role in trail following. Most likely,
silk helps the caterpillars grip on smooth plant surfaces. The
caterpillars can distinguish old from new trails. Caterpillars
preferentially follow trails marked by larger numbers of caterpillars.
Trail marking enables the caterpillars to aggregate at feeding sites and
allows them to find their way back to nest after feeding. When they
move over the branches, caterpillars may travel head to tail in small
groups or alone. In either case, they rely on the trail marker to find
their way.
The most spectacular processions are formed when the caterpillars are
fully grown and abandon the host tree in search of pupation sites, when
as many as three hundred caterpillars may travel long distances from
the natal tree looking for soft soil in which to bury themselves and
form cocoons. During processions, stimuli from setae on the tip of the
abdomen of the caterpillar in front serve to hold processions together,
taking priority over the trail pheromone or silk. A caterpillar can
readily be induced to follow a model made of a wooden dowel covered with
the integument of the abdomen of a killed caterpillar.
Anti-predator defence
The caterpillars of the pine processionary are highly urticating in
the third and subsequent instars. Contact with the hairs causes skin
rashes and eye irritations. Susceptible individuals may also develop an
allergic response to a protein associated with the hairs of the
caterpilla
The
Caterpillar is seen up and down the Costa Del Sol and require regular
and correct treatment. Call Now 952449591 or visit the website www.costapestsolutons.com call and ask for me my name is Gray.
Local Pest have deveoped a reputation second to none for the treatment of some of the most dangerous pests in southern spain, including snakes and hornets. But the pine processionary is potentially the most dangerous of all to both you, your family and pets. DO NOT IGNORE THEM>
The Pine Processionary is a moth seen in countries of southern Europe.
The urticating hairs of the caterpillar larvae cause harmful reactions
in humans and other mammals. The species is notable for the behaviour of
its caterpillars, which overwinter in tent-like nests high in pine
trees, and which process through the woods in nose-to-tail columns,
protected by their severely irritating hairs
Egg
The typical cylindrical egg masses range in length from 4 to 5 cm.
They are covered with the scales of the female anal tuft, which mimics
the pine shoots.
Adult
The Pine Processionary adult has cream coloured forewings with brown
markings, and white hindwings. The female moth has a wing-span of 36 –
49 mm while the male is 31 – 39 mm.The species flies from May to July.
Pupa
Pupation takes place in the soil in an oval, ocheous-white silken
cocoon. The obtect pupae are about 20 mm in length, oval, and of a pale
brownish-yellow colour that later changes to dark reddish-brown.
Larva
'Tent' made by larvae in pine tree; frass collects at the bottom of the tent
The larva is a major forest pest, living communally in large "tents", usually in pine trees but occasionally in cedar or larch,
marching out at night in single file (hence the common name) to feed on
the needles. There are often several such tents in a single tree. When
they are ready to pupate, the larvae march in their usual fashion to the ground, where they disperse to pupate singly on or just below the surface.
The larvae should never be handled as the abundant hairs on their bodies cause extreme irritation (urticaria) to the skin 5th stage larvae can eject hairs when threatened or stressed; the
hairs, which have the form of harpoons, then penetrate and irritate all
areas of exposed skin nearby with an urticating protein. Allergic reactions may follow in susceptible individuals on subsequent exposure to the hairs.
Fabre conducted a famous study on the processionary pine larvae where
a group of them were attached nose-to-tail in a circle with food just
outside the circle; they continued marching in the circle for a week.The caterpillars may follow a trail of pheromones
or silk, but the main stimuli that induce following are from the hairs
(setae) on the end of the abdomen of the caterpillar in front. The ant mill is a similar phenomenon.
Life cycle
The life cycle of the pine processionary is normally annual but may
extend over 2 years at high altitude or in northern latitudes for part
or the whole of the population. The life cycle has two phases, the
adult, egg and caterpillar being aerial and the pupa hypogeal.Moths lay
their eggs high on pine trees. After hatching, the larvae go through
five instars, eating pine needles. They build white silken nests are
built to maintain ideal living conditions. Around the end of March the
caterpillars are ready to leave their nests and move down the tree in a
characteristic procession. They dig underground and pupate, emerging at
the end of the summer. High numbers of adults are produced in years with a warm spring.
Shelter building
The caterpillars are highly social. At first they are nomadic,
spinning and abandoning a series of flimsy shelters constructed by
enveloping a few needles in silk but in the third instar they initiate
the construction of a permanent nest and settle down to become central
place foragers. There are no definitive openings in the shelter that
allow the caterpillars to enter and exit. Rather, the caterpillars force
their way through the layers of the shelter as they move in and out.
The frass that is produced as the caterpillars process their meals
accumulates at the bottom of the shelter.
Midwinter foraging and thermoregulation
Colonies are active throughout the winter months. Activity records of
colonies foraging in pine forests in mountainous regions near
Barcelona, Catalonia, obtained with infrared activity monitors, show
that the caterpillars leave their nests soon after sunset and travel to
distant feeding sites located on the branches of the host tree. Here
they feed overnight then return to the nest at dawn. Observations in
mid-winter show that the caterpillars forage on the coldest of nights
and are able to locomote, albeit very slowly, at sub-zero temperatures.
The permanent nests are typically sited to intercept solar radiation and
during sunny days warm to well above ambient temperatures. The
caterpillars rest in the nest during the day and at the elevated body
temperatures they experience due to heating of the nest by the sun are
able to efficiently digest the food they collect overnight. By March the
caterpillars are in the fifth instar and are fully grown. At this time
the leave their nest, following each other in long head to tail
processions and seek out pupation sites in the soil.
Trail marking and processionary behaviour
The caterpillars lay down a pheromone trail from the tip of the
abdomen as they advance over the branches of the host tree. Although the
caterpillars also secrete silk and mark their pathways with the
material, it plays little or no role in trail following. Most likely,
silk helps the caterpillars grip on smooth plant surfaces. The
caterpillars can distinguish old from new trails. Caterpillars
preferentially follow trails marked by larger numbers of caterpillars.
Trail marking enables the caterpillars to aggregate at feeding sites and
allows them to find their way back to nest after feeding. When they
move over the branches, caterpillars may travel head to tail in small
groups or alone. In either case, they rely on the trail marker to find
their way.
The most spectacular processions are formed when the caterpillars are
fully grown and abandon the host tree in search of pupation sites, when
as many as three hundred caterpillars may travel long distances from
the natal tree looking for soft soil in which to bury themselves and
form cocoons. During processions, stimuli from setae on the tip of the
abdomen of the caterpillar in front serve to hold processions together,
taking priority over the trail pheromone or silk. A caterpillar can
readily be induced to follow a model made of a wooden dowel covered with
the integument of the abdomen of a killed caterpillar.
Anti-predator defence
The caterpillars of the pine processionary are highly urticating in
the third and subsequent instars. Contact with the hairs causes skin
rashes and eye irritations. Susceptible individuals may also develop an
allergic response to a protein associated with the hairs of the
caterpilla
The Caterpillar is seen up and down the Costa Del Sol and require regular and correct treatment. Call Now 952449591 or visit the website www.costapestsolutons.com call and ask for me my name is Gray.
