With the enormous range of foreign and domestic pests that could wreak havoc on native plant species and agricultural industries, protecting U.S. agriculture and plant resources is an almost overwhelming job. Sharing that burden across government and private-sector organizations makes the job doable. It estimates that around 40 non-native species will become invasive within 20 years. Oak Processionary Moth, (Thaumetopoea processionea) imagesTo download an image please click on the thumbnail. Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey. They discovered recently planted trees imported from the Netherlands were infested with oak processionary moth (OPM) caterpillars. Please click here for guidance on using the NNSS web gallery. As a result of this finding the Plant Health Service looked at oak tree imports into the country and have since traced over 2,000 consignments of oak from the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. They are an invasive non-native species from southern Europe unwittingly introduced to the UK in 2005 — and one in thousands of species worldwide that have been scattered by humans around the globe to disastrous ecological effect. The Germans (remember how powerful the Greens are there) have already declared European hornets a protected species. Oak processionary moths (OPM) and their caterpillars have no natural place in an English wood. Oak processionary moth is named for how they move in nose to tail processions. The oak processionary moth first arrived in the UK seven years ago and has been spreading ever since. Invasive.org is a joint project of University of Georgia - Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA Forest Service, USDA Identification Technology Program, and USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture close Oak processionary moths have characteristic delicate and fluffy nests in oak trees. The oak processionary moth pest is known as OPM for short. A small proportion of non-native species established in the UK are harmful to human health, including the spread of Lyme disease by non-native deer, giant hogweed causing skin rashes and blistering, and the Oak Processionary Moth caterpillars which can cause skin irritation and breathing difficulties. In Louvain, Belgium, firefighters had to destroy nests of the invasive species before a rock concert. Since 2006, OPM infestations have occurred entirely around London and surrounding counties. The browntail moth caterpillar has tiny poisonous hairs that cause dermatitis similar to poison ivy on sensitive individuals. Invasive species This article is more than 5 years old. Oak processionary moth population exploding in London This article is more than 5 years old. I suppose it won’t be long before some idiot suggests we offer the same protection to those fascinating and beautiful exotics the oak processionary moths … Furthermore, the larvae have toxic hairs which can cause serious health problems. Other common names include cluster caterpillars, oak processionary, oak processionary caterpillar, procesionaria de la encina, processionnaire du chene, Eichenprozessionsspinner, Processsionariadellaquercia, and the EPPO code THAUPR (1 and 12). Oak processionary moth in the United Kingdom. They are an invasive non-native species from southern Europe unwittingly introduced to the UK in 2005 — and one in thousands of species worldwide that have been scattered by humans around the globe to disastrous ecological effect. They could be the offspring of the oak processionary moth, also known as Thaumetopoea processionea or simply OPM – an invasive species that hitched a ride to the UK from Europe more than a decade ago on an imported oak tree and set up home in London and nearby counties. (Linnaeus). This moth is an insect of both forest and human health concern. The browntail moth is an invasive species found only on the coast of Maine and Cape Cod. Predicting shifts in the distribution and abundance of pest organisms relies on an accurate forecasting of their response to climate change.