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Oak processionary

Thaumetopoea processionea

Om navnet: The name comes from the caterpillars' habit of moving in nose-to-tail lines called processions.1

Gør bare ondtRør ikkeDet gør ondt, men det skader dig ikke alvorligt.

Larver & kryb

BrændehårSpiser: Planter

Fare for mennesker: SmertefuldDet kan gøre rigtig ondt, men det er næsten aldrig alvorligt.

The oak processionary is a moth whose caterpillars feed on oak leaves and can strip trees bare. The caterpillars travel in long, nose-to-tail lines, which is how they got their name. Their fine, hair-like bristles can irritate skin and breathing, so they matter a lot to people.1

Lever i

Central and southern Europe, occasionally as far north as Sweden; now established in the UK and Belgium1

Europa

Forside

Oak forests and oak trees, where the caterpillars feed and build silk nests on trunks and branches. People can meet them in oak woodland, on the ground under oaks, and in gardens and parks with oak trees. Their hairs can also reach lawns and garden ponds.1

Længde

2,5 cm til 3,5 cm (1 in til 1,4 in)1

Tophastighed

cirka 0,03 km/t (0,02 mph)

På land, groft gæt

Hvad spiser det?

Caterpillars eat oak leaves, feeding in the tree crowns at night and returning to their nests. They also eat the leaves of hazel, hornbeam, sweet chestnut, birch and beech, though oak is preferred.1

Foto af Oak processionary — Oak processionary. Foto: Kleuske. CC BY-SA 4.0, iNaturalist.

Sådan genkender du det

Adult moths have a wingspan of 25 to 35 mm and are tan, brown and white, which makes them hard to see against oak bark.1
Caterpillars have very long, white hairs that contrast with shorter hairs.1
Caterpillars march in lines, often arrow-shaped, with a leader and rows of several caterpillars side by side.1
Nests are white and silk-like when new, and become discoloured and hard to see over time.1
Nests can be round, teardrop-shaped, bag-like or blanket-like, and can be found at any height on an oak tree.1

Forveksles ofte med: Caterpillars of several other species may be mistaken for the oak processionary. Unlike other caterpillars, the oak processionary does not live on fences or walls, so it is mostly found in oak trees or on the ground beneath them in late spring and early summer.1

Giftkraft

Brændehår

Bittesmå hår eller børster knækker af i huden og svier.

Hvad gør dets gift, når det bider eller stikker?

The caterpillars' back bristles contain a urticating toxin called thaumetopoein, a protein that irritates the skin. Contact can cause a papular rash and itching, and the hairs can also cause eye inflammation (conjunctivitis). If the hairs are breathed in, they can cause sore throat (pharyngitis), breathing problems, asthma, or in rare cases anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction.1

Hvor farligt er det for mennesker?

Fare for mennesker: SmertefuldDet kan gøre rigtig ondt, men det er næsten aldrig alvorligt.

The moths are an increasing nuisance to people as their range grows, and the hairs can cause a skin condition called epidemic caterpillar dermatitis. The hairs break off easily, float in the air, and can stay harmful for several seasons. Mowing a lawn can bring people into contact with them.1

Gode nyheder: Lægerne har en medicin (modgift) eller en behandling mod det.1

Hvad gør det, når det er bange?

The caterpillars defend themselves with thousands of pointed, easily broken bristles on their backs that float in the air and irritate the skin.1

Hvis du rører ved dets hår

The skin irritation and itching can be largely relieved by cetirizine-based antihistamine tablets. Anyone with breathing problems or a severe reaction needs urgent medical help.1
Ved brændehår fra larver: Løft dem af med tape, og vask derefter huden. Gnid ikke.
Ved bid: Vask og køl. Få lægehjælp, hvis personen har det dårligt eller let bløder.

Ring altid først til dit alarmnummer (112, 000, 911). Dette er generel førstehjælpsvejledning, ikke lægelig rådgivning. Grundlæggende førstehjælp

Pas på dig selv

Rør aldrig ved, fang eller dril et vildt dyr, heller ikke et lille et, og heller ikke hvis det ser ud til at sove eller være dødt.
Giv det plads. Hvis du møder et, så bliv rolig, træd langsomt tilbage, og lad det gå sin egen vej.
Hvis du rører ved dets hår: Bevar roen, hold dig i ro, ring til dit alarmnummer (112, 000, 911), eller kom hurtigt på hospitalet. Husk, hvordan det så ud, et billede hjælper.

Det er ikke ude efter dig. Det bruger sin gift til at fange føde eller beskytte sig selv, og det gemmer sig meget hellere. Mere om sikkerhed

Hvor i verden?

Afrika Asien Europa Nordamerika Sydamerika Australien & Oceanien

Hvor stort er det?

Hvor langt er det?

cirka lige så lang som en papirclipslangsommere end en havesnegl

Hvor stor er Oak processionary i forhold til DIG?

Bare matematik i din browser. Intet bliver gemt eller sendt nogen steder hen.

Hvor hurtigt er det?

Oak processionary cirka 0,03 km/t (0,02 mph)

En havesnegl cirka 0,05 km/t (0,03 mph)

En skildpadde cirka 0,3 km/t (0,19 mph)

værd at vide

Fakta

Older caterpillars can have up to 63,000 pointed defensive bristles on their backs.1

In 2007, soldiers were deployed to burn infestations in the Belgian province of Limburg.1

The UK government spent £37 million trying to control the caterpillars, which had spread to all 33 London boroughs by 2019.1

In the Netherlands, great tits have been observed eating the young caterpillars before their hairs develop in April.1

In 2023, an outbreak in Ireland was successfully eradicated.1

For gifteksperter

Videnskabeligt navn: Thaumetopoea processionea
Gruppe: Larver & kryb
Familie: Notodontidae2
Orden: Lepidoptera
Kontinenter: Europa
Unger: Eggs hatch into caterpillars that build communal silk nests in oak trees, and the caterpillars later pupate into adult moths in these nests.1
Fare for mennesker: 2 / 5: Smertefuld3

Hvor fakta kommer fra

Oak processionary (Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0))
Thaumetopoea processionea (iNaturalist): navne og klassifikation.
Venom Wiki: fareniveauet, den typiske størrelse og hastighedsgættet er vores egne. Se, hvordan vi regner dem ud: Sådan vurderer vi faren.

Hvert faktum på denne side har et nummer, der peger på kilden. Hvis vi har taget fejl, så undskyld, vi er dyrefans, ikke et videnskabeligt tidsskrift. Skriv til os på [email protected], så retter vi det.

Skorpionen er sulten! Venom Wiki er et enmandsprojekt: gratis, uden reklamer og uden trackere. Lidt drikkepenge hjælper med at holde det online.Giv skorpionen mad