Investigating movement ecology of organisms has economic, societal, and conservation benefits. Larval movement of insects for example, plays many significant ecological roles, and with the expansion of the human population and development, encounters and conflicts with insects have increased. Urticating caterpillars are a health concern to people and animals, especially when they disperse in a gregarious and synchronised manner in areas frequented by humans. Ochrogaster lunifer and Thaumetopoea pityocampa from the southern and northern hemispheres respectively, are two geographically-isolated species of moth with similar gregarious urticating caterpillars that can outbreak causing defoliation and medical issues. Each year from March to May, O. lunifer and T. pityocampa caterpillars leave their nesting sites and form head-to-tail processions on the ground in search of pupation sites. This pre-pupation procession behaviour and its associated risk of human contact with O. lunifer and T. pityocampa caterpillars were studied and compared in Australia and Italy, respectively. The distance, duration, orientation and response to visible light of the pre-pupation processions were studied in both species to determine general patterns. In the morning, O. lunifer and T. pityocampa processions travelled on average 40 and 16 m per day from the nest in 153 and 223 min respectively, in search for potential pupation sites. Ochrogaster lunifer pre-pupation processions travelled generally to the north or south when leaving the nest, as was their final orientation to the bivouac/pupation site. Whereas T. pityocampa processions had no preference in orientation. Ochrogaster lunifer and T. pityocampa pre-pupation processions travelled towards the darker and the lighter areas of the environment, respectively. During our observations, 27% of O. lunifer and 44% of T. pityocampa processions had contact with humans driving, cycling or walking. The amount of human contact is surprising and alarming, because of the serious health implications they cause to humans and animals. The processionary dispersal on the ground risks further spread of urticating hairs that can be easily detached, and particular during inadvertent contact. Our limited sample size of T. pityocampa processions may benefit from more observations to make conclusive remarks on their pre-pupation behaviour. Understanding the movement behaviour of O. lunifer and T. pityocampa pre-pupation processions around populated areas is crucial for predicting exposure risk and application of management strategies.

中文翻译：

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两只社会性瘙痒毛虫在相反半球的运动行为。

研究生物的运动生态学具有经济、社会和保护效益。以昆虫幼虫的运动为例，在生态环境中发挥着重要的作用，随着人口的扩大和发展，与昆虫的接触和冲突也越来越多。发痒的毛毛虫是人类和动物的健康问题，尤其是当它们以群居和同步的方式散布在人类经常光顾的地区时。分别来自南半球和北半球的 Ochrogaster lunifer 和 Thaumetopoea pityocampa 是两种地理上孤立的蛾类，它们具有相似的群居瘙痒毛虫，可以爆发导致落叶和医疗问题。每年 3 月至 5 月，O. lunifer 和 T. pityocampa 毛虫离开它们的筑巢地点，在地面上形成从头到尾的游行，寻找化蛹地点。分别在澳大利亚和意大利研究和比较了这种化蛹前的游行行为及其与人类接触 O. lunifer 和 T.pityocampa 毛虫的相关风险。在这两个物种中研究了化蛹前游行的距离、持续时间、方向和对可见光的反应，以确定一般模式。早上，O. lunifer 和 T. pityocampa 游行队伍平均每天分别在 153 和 223 分钟内从巢中行进 40 和 16 m，寻找潜在的化蛹地点。Ochrogaster lunifer 化蛹前的游行在离开巢穴时通常向北或向南行进，它们最终朝向宿营/化蛹地点也是如此。而T。pityocampa 游行在方向上没有偏好。Ochrogaster lunifer 和 T. pityocampa 化蛹前的队伍分别向环境中较暗和较亮的区域行进。在我们的观察中，27% 的 O. lunifer 和 44% 的 T. pityocampa 游行队伍与驾驶、骑自行车或步行的人类有过接触。人类接触的数量令人惊讶和震惊，因为它们对人类和动物造成严重的健康影响。地面上的游行分散有可能使容易脱落的瘙痒毛发进一步扩散，尤其是在无意接触时。我们有限的 T.pityocampa 游行样本量可能会受益于更多的观察，以对其化蛹前的行为做出结论性的评论。了解 O. lunifer 和 T. 的运动行为。