What do the moths look like?

[Chrissie]

Has anyone got a photo (or a link to one) showing the moth of the processional caterpillar?

I always thought they were light beige with a few brown edge bits, but this year the garden is full of foxy-brown moths/butterflies with a coloured spot on each wing.  I don't want to harm them if they are something else.  But if they ARE the processional caterpillar moths, we are in for a bumper crop of the dreadful things[+o(]

Chrissie (81)

[Alex H]

Article here from Belgium with pictures;

http://homepages.ulb.ac.be/~nmeuriss/contexteENG.html

[Théière]

Chrissie, the difference between moths and butterflies is the way the wings fold. Butterflies fold their wings up whereas moths fold them flat in a delta pattern.

Oak and pine processionary catapillars [+o(] time to get out the long reach pruners [6]

[Âme]

This is a pine processionary moth.

[img]http://www.david.element.ukgateway.net/moths9_files/image008.jpg[/img]

More images HERE

[Dog]

[quote user="teapot"]

Chrissie, the difference between moths and butterflies is the way the wings fold. Butterflies fold their wings up whereas moths fold them flat in a delta pattern.

Oak and pine processionary catapillars [+o(] time to get out the long reach pruners [6]

[/quote]

Not all moths fold up their wings and some do amazing fold ups - check out a close up of a Plume Moth.

Pine processionary caterpillars are beautiful and should be left alone.

[Chrissie]

Thanks for all that - I think these are butterflies, or at least not the p.c. moths, so I can safely let them flutter. 

Not going to rise again, Dog, we've been there before!

Chrissie (81)