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Oak processionary - invasive moth found South Dublin

Comments

  • #2
    Alun
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,487 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    Horrible things. When I lived in the Netherlands you'd regularly see trees wrapped up in protective plastic coverings to prevent the hairs from the caterpillars from escaping.


  • #3
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Alun wrote: »
    Horrible things. When I lived in the Netherlands you'd regularly see trees wrapped up in protective plastic coverings to prevent the hairs from the caterpillars from escaping.


    What risk do they pose - The RTE site mentions not touching them.


  • #4
    auspicious
    Registered Users Posts: 4,497 ✭✭✭auspicious


    Deleted User wrote: »
    What risk do they pose - The RTE site mentions not touching them.

    Wiki
    They travel in nose-to-tail processions (hence their name), often arrow-headed, with a leader followed by rows of several caterpillars abreast.[1] They are a human irritant because of their venomous setae (hairs), which can cause skin irritation and asthma. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.

    The moths pose an increasing nuisance to humans as their range is extended.[6] The backs of older caterpillars (3rd to 6th instars) are covered with up to 63,000 pointed defensive bristles,[citation needed] sized between 0.2 and 0.3 millimeters, which contain an urticating toxin, the protein thaumetopoein.[7] The setae break off readily, become airborne and can cause epidemic caterpillar dermatitis (lepidopterism), manifested as a papular rash, pruritus, conjunctivitis and, if inhaled, pharyngitis and respiratory distress, including asthma or even anaphylaxis.

    It has been found that the skin irritation and itching caused by contact with these hairs can be largely eliminated by the use of cetirizine-based antihistamine tablets.[citation needed]

    Transmission of the hairs can be airborne, by ground contact via plants or grass or even by water contact in stillwater e.g. garden ponds. The toxicity of the hairs remains active beyond the normal life cycle of the moth and in some cases can remain a problem for several seasons.[citation needed] Mowing a lawn can bring a person into contact with these hairs. One alternative is to adopt a grass mulching technique to reduce possible contact, and to speed up the biological breakdown of the irritant hairs.[citation needed]


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