EU : Attention : dangerous caterpillars spotted in *UK*

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EU : Attention : dangerous caterpillars spotted in UK

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May 3, 2005 at 8:55 pm

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General Lighting

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I have been advised by a work colleague (who is always talking about plants and gardening) that a friend of his spotted the dangerous “chenilles urticantes” or hairy caterpillars with allergy-causing “fur” on a plant of his in the UK (just when I thought it was safe over here).

Luckily this chap was a zoologist so recognised them and sprayed the plant immediately to kill all these nasties. He is in the SE of the UK and I would expect the creatures came over during the hotter part of summer.

it seems there are several kinds of these, the worse ones are in Europe but even those which can turn up in England are nasty if touched.

With increasing global warming its possible that more of these creatures may turn up in the UK, either through imported plants from elsewhere in the EU or just from flying over as butterflies (its only 20km between Dover and Calais).

http://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/living/679.html

another entry was shown on a website for Basildon (Essex) council but I could not get it due to network problems

http://www.provet.co.uk/lorgue/5a7b738.htm (yes I know its a vet’s site but they affect humans as well)

another quote from here

http://www.naturegrid.org.uk/biodiversity/lepidoptera/lep-intro.html

Apart from indirect damage to Man, lepidoptera are harmless except for some members of the moth Family Lymantriidae (Tussock Moths). Their larvae are clothed in hairs and these can prove very irritant to human skin. If any of the hairs come into contact with the face it can cause severe swelling and may close up eyes. The message is to be wary of hairy caterpillars!

any better info on habitats etc appreciated. they made a good friend of mine very ill indeed at Frenchtek (thankfully he has recovered now) – definitely best avoided…

this is another site on the european kind (in English)

http://www.xetronella.co.uk/caterp.html
May 4, 2005 at 12:32 pm

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munilooney

@munilooney

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There was a lot of hullabaloo about flatworms a few years ago but I’ve not heard anything about them for ages and ages. Are there as many here as people were worried about?

Kit
May 4, 2005 at 2:40 pm

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munilooney wrote:

There was a lot of hullabaloo about flatworms a few years ago but I’ve not heard anything about them for ages and ages. Are there as many here as people were worried about?

Kit

they do turn up from time to time; they do not pose as much of a threat to humans or pets as the caterpillars (although they also can cause irritations and allergies) – but they eat our native Earthworms and this could cause a bad knock on effect to birds, moles, badgers and other wildlife that eat earthworms.

Animals cannot eat the flatworm instead because they, like us, will become unwell.

This also applies to the irritant caterpillars, which is why both species are a problem – (they will also eat the plants that we want to grow or eat)! When these nasties become established, often the only way they can be killed is also with poison.

If you find a flatworm you are supposed to post it (alive!) to some chap at a government laboratory in Wolverhampton. I am not sure what they do with them there, probably slice them and experiment on them. I am glad though I do not work in their office or postroom! If you send them to other politicians though it may be in breach of the protection of animals act 1911. Even creepy crawlies have rights….
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