A forest pest - the browntail moth - bedevils Maine residents and tourists with hairs that cause an itchy rash and appears to be spreading due to warming temperatures.
A forest pest that bedevils Maine residents and tourists with hairs that cause an itchy rash appears to be spreading due to warming temperatures, a group of scientists has found.
In a May 2016 photo provided by the Maine Forest Service, browntail caterpillars feed in Maine. The caterpillars’ hairs can cause a painful rash in humans. State scientists say it’s difficult to control the spread of the bugs, which has been aided by dry weather. The browntail moth is native to Europe and neighboring countries in Asia and Africa. It was accidentally introduced in Massachusetts in the late 19th century and is now found in coastal Maine and Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The caterpillars become active from April to June and have been identified as “an insect of both forest and human health concern” by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.
It's another example of how climate change can aggravate pest problems and jeopardize human health, said David Wagner, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Connecticut who was not involved in the study. Climate change has already exacerbated problems with disease-causing pests such as mosquitoes and ticks, he said.
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