第 1044 号，共 1 402 张

Oak processionary

Thaumetopoea processionea

名字的由来： The name comes from the caterpillars' habit of moving in nose-to-tail lines called processions.1

只是会疼不要触摸会疼，但不会对你造成严重伤害。

毛毛虫和虫子

蜇毛吃：植物

对人的危险: 很疼可能真的很疼，但几乎从不严重。

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

生活在

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

欧洲

首页

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

长度

2.5 cm到3.5 cm (1 in到1.4 in)1

最高速度

约 0.03 公里/小时（0.02 英里/小时）

在陆地上, 粗略估计

它吃什么？

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

Oak processionary的照片 — Oak processionary。照片：Kleuske。 CC BY-SA 4.0, iNaturalist.

怎样认出它

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

常被误认为： 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

毒液之力

蜇毛

细小的毛或刚毛会断在皮肤里并刺痛。

它的毒液会造成什么？

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

它对人有多危险？

对人的危险: 很疼可能真的很疼，但几乎从不严重。

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

好消息：医生有药（抗毒血清）或治疗方法。1

它害怕时会做什么？

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

如果你碰到它的毛

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
被毛毛虫的蜇毛扎到：用胶带把毛粘掉，再清洗皮肤。不要揉。
被咬：清洗并冷敷。如果感到不适或容易出血，就去看医生。

一定先拨打你的急救电话（112、000、911）。这里是一般急救指导，不是医疗建议。急救基础

注意安全

永远不要摸、抓或逗弄野生动物，即使是很小的，即使它看起来在睡觉或已经死了。
给它留出空间。如果遇到它，保持冷静，慢慢后退，让它走自己的路。
如果你碰到了它的毛：保持冷静，保持不动，拨打你的急救电话（112、000、911）或尽快去医院。记住它长什么样，拍张照片会有帮助。

它不是冲着你来的。它用毒液捕猎或保护自己，而且它更愿意躲起来。更多安全知识

在世界哪里？

非洲亚洲欧洲北美洲南美洲澳大利亚和大洋洲

它有多大？

它有多长？

差不多和一个回形针一样长比花园蜗牛还慢

Oak processionary和你比起来有多大？

只是在你的浏览器里算一算。什么都不会被保存或发送到任何地方。

它有多快？

Oak processionary 约 0.03 公里/小时 (0.02 mph)

一只花园蜗牛 约 0.05 公里/小时 (0.03 mph)

一只陆龟 约 0.3 公里/小时 (0.19 mph)

值得了解

事实

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

给毒液专家

学名: Thaumetopoea processionea
类别: 毛毛虫和虫子
家人: Notodontidae2
排序: Lepidoptera
大洲: 欧洲
宝宝: Eggs hatch into caterpillars that build communal silk nests in oak trees, and the caterpillars later pupate into adult moths in these nests.1
对人的危险: 2 / 5: 很疼3