www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

The oak processionary moth, up to reciently a rare immigrant to southern England has now taken up residance there thanks to eggs imported on a plant from Tuscany. Climate warming has seen it spread to northern Europe where it has reached plague proportions, causing health problems to anybody in contact with them. They are spreading north in England and it is probably just a matter of time before they appear in Ireland, so be on your guard and report any you see.

It is a small grey moth with an orange yellow fringe and a wingspan of only 15mm, but the name comes from the way the caterpillarss move, long lines in single file, to devour the oak foliage, mainly at night. They shed tens of thousands of tiny hairs which drift in the wind causing allergic reactions, asthma, skin rash, eye infections and n a few cases, even death in humans