Natural History of the Processionary Moths (Thaumetopoea spp.): New Insights in Relation to Climate Change

It is difficult to find a genus of Lepidoptera showing the high variability of life history traits observed in Thaumetopoea. There are typical summer feeding close to winter feeding species, and in one special case a recent switch has been detected even within one species, the pine processionary moth, indicating that the natural history traits are constantly evolving at a fast rate. There are species adapted to cold conditions of high mountains and high latitude close to truly Mediterranean and sub-desert region species. All species have gregarious behaviour as larva and are protected against vertebrate predators by urticating setae.