From Wildlife Extra:
Poisonous caterpillars infest Spurn PointSpurn Point life boat crews are under siege from the Brown Tailed Moth caterpillars, Euproctis chrysorrhoea.
On a visit last weekend Dick and Clare from Paws-a-While witnessed thousands of them.
The crews stationed there are suffering from rashes around their arms neck and legs, headaches vomiting and eye problems.
Normally found on the south coast (An Isle of [Wight] beach was closed in 1997) this is the first time the species has been found in this area.
Rare moth Dysgonia algira in the Netherlands: here.
Mat daisy moths of New Zealand: here.
Climate change brings toxic moth to England
Wed Jun 13, 2007 12:01PM EDT
LONDON (Reuters) – A species of toxic moth which has been moving steadily north from the Mediterranean because of global warming has reached England, the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew said on Wednesday.
Emergency measures have been put in place to protect trees in Kew Gardens in West London, where a number of Oak Processionary Moths (Thaumetopoea processionea) have been discovered, Kew Gardens said in a statement.
“The Oak Processionary Moth’s natural range is the Mediterranean regions of Europe. However, in recent years, its range has extended northwards, possibly as a result of climate change,” it said.
The moth was last reported to have reached Belgium, where its presence caused areas of forest to be closed to the public.
The Oak Moth lays its eggs in oak trees, and the caterpillars eat the trees’ foliage. The poisonous hairs on the caterpillars’ back can cause itchy rashes, breathing difficulties and severe allergic reactions in humans.
Kew said the moths found in England were believed to have entered the country as eggs laid on imported trees, so the immediate danger was limited.
© Reuters 2007. All rights reserved.
we have found one of these caterpillars in our front yard in Milton Georgia on Wednesday May 28 2008. We are for sure we found the euprotis
Hi nicoles, according to the map on this page, this species also occurs in eastern North America.
we have a catterpillar that looks simalar to this one so what do we do(we can’t send a picture) if the caterpiller is poisionios, when it tranforms into a butterfly is it still going to be poisinous
Hi alyssa, some caterpillars are poisonous to prevent being eaten. If they become butterflies they usually are no longer poisonous. Though the monarch butterfly is poisonous to birds etc. who try to eat it.
I just got one like this from my backyard but it is more blue and has a yellowish white line down the center of its back … i wonder is its poisonous?
I have two of those exact caterpillars, are they poisonous to me?
Hi Grace, according to the post those caterpillars are poisonous to humans, so it’s best not to touch them.
Re #6: Hi nini, you’d be better take a photograph of the caterpillar and take that to an insect expert of a museum, university etc. near you.
hey, I found a caterpiller in my backyard and it is sorta greenish and has a yellowish line down its back. I was wondering if it was poisonous.
Hi livi r., most caterpillars are not poisonous.I don’t know where you live, so I cannot tell you what species it is. Maybe ask some insect expert in your area.
i think caterpillar is a brown tailed moth caterpillar but im not really sure what shall i do?
Hi Nimrah Naseem, more brown tailed moth information is here.
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i got a brown black catterpiller i think its poisinnous
It is best to find out which species it is. Ask an expert; or look at caterpillar pictures on the Internet.
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Thanks for the warning.
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