First evidence of carnivorous mammals preying on adult pine processionary moths

by the Doñana Biological Station – CSIC
March 13, 2026

A scientific team from the Doñana Biological Station (CSIC) and the University of Huelva has documented for the first time an unexpected behavior in several carnivorous mammals: the predation of adult female pine processionary moths, one of the best-known forest pests in the Mediterranean region. The study, published in the journal Ecosphere, provides new clues about the role that generalist predators may play in the natural control of this species.

The pine processionary moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) is a moth species that feeds on the needles of pine and cedar trees. In addition to its effects on vegetation, the caterpillars possess urticating hairs that can cause allergic reactions in both people and animals, making this species both an ecological and a public health concern. Although numerous studies had previously identified predators of its eggs, caterpillars, or pupae, the consumption of adult moths by carnivorous mammals had not been described until now.

Keep reading: https://www.ebd.csic.es/divulgacion/noticias/documentan-por-primera-vez-la-depredacion-de-hembras-adultas-de-procesionarias

Read the Ecosphere paper: https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecs2.70542