This moth is regarded as an immigrant and naturalised adventive (accidentally introduced in the egg stage). Due to this moth devastingly defoliating Oak species, mainly Pendunculate Oak, it is monitored by the Forestry Commision OPM. It is major pest species in central and southern Europe. The larvae move head to tail in procession; apart from being very destructive, they are a health hazard as their hairs can cause severe urtication (on occasion life threatening). The Forestry Commission OPM website should be notified of any outbreak. The prescence of this moth is possibly under recorder in our County. However we do have two records of larvae that entered the County via imported Oaks from European mainland from Old Town Hartlepool (Church Square a Forestry Commission interception) and Billingham. Both records are from 2019.