These innocuous-looking fluff balls are actually the nests of
Pine processionary caterpillars Thaumatopoea pityocampa
[Processionnaire du pin /chenilles processionaires in french.]
It still sounds quite harmless until you see that the trees
containing the nests are less healthy looking with missing and
yellowing pine needles. The caterpillars are voracious eaters
and weaken the trees by stripping the branches and reducing its
growth cycle ands this in turn makes the tree more susceptible
to plant disesases. In fact, its easy to see the yellow needles
and bare twigs in this photo. As the caterpillars grow, the nest
gets filled with rubbish. There is no entrance or exit to the
nest, the caterpillars just push their way through the fibres.
You can see one of the mature caterpillars on the outside here.
This is the final stage of caterpillar developement I did not
take any extreme close ups because these caterpillars are very
dangerous. The caterpillar hairs are extemely toxic and easily
released as a defence aga