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Thaumetopoein
Thaumetopoein is a urticating protein found in the hairs and integument of the caterpillars of the pine processionary The pine processionary (''Thaumetopoea pityocampa'') is a moth of the subfamily Thaumetopoeinae in the family Notodontidae, known for the irritating hairs of its caterpillars, their processions, and the economic damage they cause in coniferous ... (''Thaumetopoea pityocampa'') and oak processionary (''Thaumetopoea processionea'').'' It was first identified in 1986 by a group of French scientists at the University of Bordeaux. Attempting to understand the mechanisms responsible for the strong cutaneous reactions provoked when in contact with the caterpillar, the researchers extracted the proteins from the caterpillars' setae. They subsequently isolated thaumetopoein, a small protein formed of two subunits of approximately 13,000 and 15,000 Dalton (unit), daltons. Little substantial research has been conducted since the protein's identification. In 2003, Span ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pine Processionary
The pine processionary (''Thaumetopoea pityocampa'') is a moth of the subfamily Thaumetopoeinae in the family Notodontidae, known for the irritating hairs of its caterpillars, their processions, and the economic damage they cause in coniferous forests. The species was first described scientifically by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775, though it was known to the ancients, with remedies described by Theophrastus, Dioscorides and Pliny the Elder. Its processionary behaviour was described in 1916 by the French entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre. It is one of the most destructive species to pines and cedars in Central Asia, North Africa and southern Europe. The species is notable for the behaviour of its caterpillars, which overwinter in tent-like nests high in pine trees, and which proceed through the woods in nose-to-tail columns, protected from predators by their severely irritating hairs. The species is one of the few insects where the larva develops in winter in t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
