National park specialists say that such a sight does not occur every year, and the species itself is very rare in Lithuania.
“One of the most interesting rarities of the Curonian Spit – the processionary pine caterpillar (Thaumetopoea pinivora) caravan – can be seen not every year.
It can stretch up to 1.5 m long (or maybe even more). The leader of the column releases a silk thread, which all the other caterpillars follow,” writes the Curonian Spit National Park on Facebook.
According to specialists, in Lithuania, the caterpillars of this species feed on the needles of mountain pine and spend most of their life in groups on trees. They hide during the day and only go out to feed at dusk.
At the end of summer, it is time for a new stage of their life – then the caterpillars descend from the pines and travel together to find a suitable place to spin cocoons.
It is precisely at this time that people have the chance to see an impressive living column, in which hundreds of caterpillars move one after another like a well-organized train.
However, the national park reminds that although such a sight arouses curiosity, one should not approach or touch the caterpillars.
“The caterpillars’ bodies are covered with hairs that contain poisonous and pain-inducing allergenic substances, so they should not be touched,” warn representatives of the Curonian Spit National Park.
The processionary pine caterpillar is found only in the Curonian Spit in Lithuania. It is one of the distinctive species of this unique landscape, listed in the Lithuanian Red Book, so preserving its habitats is especially important.
The Curonian Spit National Park thanked visitor T. Pokoniecnaja, who managed to capture this rare natural sight.
Such shots remind us that even in well-known places, nature can still surprise with extraordinary sights.
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