Pine processionary: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the pine processionary lives – recorded in 6 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Thaumetopoea pityocampa
Group	Butterflies & moths
Found in	6 countries
Continents	Europe
Class	Insect
Order	Lepidoptera
Family	Notodontidae

Where does the pine processionary live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the pine processionary in 6 countries and territories across Europe.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

What kind of animal is the pine processionary?

The pine processionary (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) is an insect in the order Lepidoptera and the family Notodontidae, genus Thaumetopoea. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the pine processionary

The pine processionary (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) is a moth of the subfamily Thaumetopoeinae in the family Notodontidae, known for the irritating hairs of its caterpillars, their processions, and the economic damage they cause in coniferous forests. The species was first described scientifically by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775, though it was known to the ancients, with remedies described by Theophrastus, Dioscorides and Pliny the Elder. Its processionary behaviour was described in 1916 by the French entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre. It is one of the most destructive species to pines and cedars in Central Asia, North Africa and southern Europe.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Pine processionary (revision 1320897987), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q261025 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).