MAINE PUBLIC • June 3, 2022
Browntail moths have been in Maine for more than 100 years. But over the past decade, they’ve expanded their range across the state, and are often abundant enough to give Mainers irritating rashes. And one of the reasons for that recent expansion may be related to climate change. “The browntail moth is a trifecta pest,” said Angela Mech, an assistant professor of forest entomology at the University of Maine. “Most tree pests are going to affect the health of the tree, so we refer to it as an ecological pest, then we have some that are attacking valuable trees, so they are an economic pest. But the browntail moth is all three, because it is also a public health pest," she said. About six years ago they began to spread across Maine. Mech said this may be due to a changing climate, and its effects on a fungal pathogen that keeps browntail moths in check.