A type of moth (Euproctis chrysorrhoea) with brown wings and a distinctive tuft of brown hairs on its tail, native to Europe and introduced to North America.
From 'brown' plus 'tail', literally describing the insect's appearance; the scientific name 'chrysorrhoea' comes from Greek 'chrysos' (gold) and 'rhoia' (flow), referring to the golden-colored tail tuft.
Browntail moths are accidentally invasive in North America because they hitchhiked on European plants in the 1800s, and their caterpillars have toxic hairs that can cause severe skin reactions—proving that sometimes the most dangerous invaders are invisibly small.
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