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Brown Tail Moth caterpillar

The Brown Tail Moth and caterpillar were widespread in the city of Portsmouth and surrounding areas until a novel control method was introduced in the late 1990’s. This involved the introduction of ‘pheromone traps’ that disrupted the breeding cycle. This method was largely successful and adopted by other Local Authorities in the country. Whilst the Brown Tail Moth caterpillar does still exist in Portsmouth, it is largely in unpopulated areas that Portsmouth City Council do not own.

Should you be unfortunate enough to have an infestation on your property, you should firstly ascertain whether it is the Brown Tail Moth or a similar harmless caterpillar of the Lackey Moth. The Brown Tail Moth has very distinctive markings, in that it is brown, has a dotted white line down each side and two very distinctive red dots on the back of its tail.

By contrast the Lackey Moth are black in colour with blue, white and orange stripes. The ‘tents’ (communal colonies) of both caterpillar look similar and can easily lead to confusion. However, the Lackey Moth does not release hairs that can cause skin irritation or present a hazard to health.

The Brown Tail Moth can cause a painful rash and you should take adequate precautions to avoid coming into contact with the caterpillars. If you are unfortunate to get a rash, it will normally only last 2-3 days. During this time it will be very irritable but you should not scratch and some relief can be obtained by applying calamine lotion. If the rash persists, consult your doctor.

If you would like to report a Brown Tail Moth infestation, please telephone the City Helpdesk (023) 9283 4150, who will log your call. The Arboricultural Officers will then investigate and take the appropriate action should they consider it necessary.