First moths of pine processionary detected in the netherlands |
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After Belgium last year, the Netherlands is now also affected: the first moths of the pine processionary have been detected following the emptying of pheromone traps by the Oak Processionary Knowledge Centre. These moths had never been observed in the Netherlands before, reports Nature Today in a press release.
On the initiative of the Knowledge Centre, pheromone traps were placed this year, after they had already warned in 2018 about the northward expansion of the pine processionary (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) towards the Netherlands. The locations where the moths were captured are still being kept secret, but will be disclosed around September when monitoring ends.
Host plants
The host plants of the pine processionary include various conifer species such as pines, spruces, and cedars. These trees make up nearly half of the tree population in the Netherlands. Additionally, literature also mentions holm oak (Quercus ilex) and midland hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata) as host plants. It is still unclear whether the caterpillar also occurs on common hawthorn, which has a much wider distribution than midland hawthorn.
Nuisance
Pine processionary caterpillars can, when leaving their nests in March and April, walk in processions for days in search of a suitable spot in the ground. At this stage, they easily shed their urticating hairs, of which they have about one million.
This article was previously published on 21 August 2025 on the \Boomzorg](https://www.boomzorg.nl/article/51036/eerste-vlinders-van-dennenprocessierups-aangetroffen-in-nederland]Boomzorg) website\.
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