🚨 ARTHROPOD OF THE DAY 🚨

They are known as processionary caterpillars as the form a long, nose to tail procession, in search of soft ground to bury themselves in, and pupate into moths. These processions are formed when they leave their cocoon, high in a host pine tree. They are common throughout warmer areas of Southern Europe.

During their search for soft ground, they form processions with up to 300 caterpillars, nose to tail. Their natural defense system is in the very fine hairs, which contain an extremely potent irritant, that can cause severe rashes on human skin. When threatened, they can also eject these hairs which have a tiny hook on the end making them difficult to dislodge.

Dogs and Cats can be particularily curious, both by the caterpillars appearance and their bittersweet smell and contact with the caterpillars can cause severe reactions - and even death.

Studies show that during these head to tail processions, stimuli associated with setae found on the tip of the abdomen of the precedent caterpillar serve to hold processions together and such stimuli take priority over those associated with either the trail pheromone or silk. A caterpillar can be readily induced to follow a model made by attaching the integument of the abdomen of a killed caterpillar to a wooden dowel .