Cobweb like tent made by the larvae of a moth, the pine processionary -Thaumetopoea pityocampa- in pine forest and conifers, southern Europe.
The pine processionary (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) is a moth of the family Thaumetopoeidae. The species was first described by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775. Sometimes placed in the genus Traumatocampa, it is one of the most destructive species to pines and cedars in Central Asia, North Africa and the countries of southern Europe. The urticating hairs of the caterpillar larvae cause harmful reactions in humans and other mammals. The species is notable for the behaviour of its caterpillars, which overwinter in tent-like nests high in pine trees, and which proceed through the woods in nose-to-tail columns, protected by their severely irritating hairs, as described by the French entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre.
Size: 5616px × 3744px
Location: France
Photo credit: © DV Wildlife / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: None
Keywords: cobweb, conifers, destructive, forest, larvae, moth, nature, pine, pityocampa, predator, processionary, tent, thaumetopoea, trees, web
