THE residents of Eungella and the surrounding suburbs have a new fight on their hands - one that is sweeping the pristine countryside at an alarming rate and devastating local flora.
On February 23, eagle-eyed residents noticed a browning of one of Eungella's mountain sides, with the cause quickly being identified as a foreign species of caterpillar.
Environmental manager, wildlife biologist and Earth Animal founder Sybelle Foxcroft said the ground zero location - which is located within reservoir B, within the foot print of the proposed pumped hydro scheme - belonged to a former resident who had sold their property to Queensland Hydro.
"It took a couple of days to get to them, and even then they really didn't know anything. They thought it could be armyworm...that's a generic description of how multiple species of caterpillar moves. They move like an army," she said.
However, upon scrutinising photos taken of the caterpillar, Ms Foxcroft was unable to identify the species and so she contacted entomologists at the University of Queensland, the Queensland Museum, and Biosecurity Queensland - but to no avail.
For her, it's not just the damage caused to the local plant life that is a concern, but also the long-term or potentially fatal implications on wildlife who rely on said plants for survival.
"They couldn't identify them...(the caterpillars) are in the thousands now and they're moving 1km in 24 hours," she said.
"They've now entered the national park. We are watching them now destroying habitat, and we know those endangered species in that area relying on that habitat.
"Biosecurity knows all about this. I'm just pushing them and pushing them.
"I had a phone call from another lady whose property is in the foot print and she said 'they're coming'. They'll be on her property by (March 4) afternoon. God knows what they're going to do in the next day.
"If it was native, they would know - the authorities would be able to identify them, but they're not able to. The advice I've been informed of is we have to catch them and raise them to a moth and then we'll be able to stand a chance of identifying them."
While the identity of the invasive critter still remains largely unknown, Ms Foxcroft said through her research she had been able to identify a similar caterpillar of South American origins, with an orange head covered in maroon dots.
"My question is 'how did they get here?'," she said.
While the issue of transference to the area is also unknown, Ms Foxcroft said one of her main concerns was the lack of immediate action from authorities, despite her repeated phone calls and pleas for "emergency" help.
"If they quarantine the area...that would be good because then all (pump surveying works) stops, but so far bio-security hasn't done anything about that," she said.
"The land is...being eaten alive. (The caterpillars are) going through people's properties, eating all their trees.
"They're aiming for the young kurrajong trees at first, then when their bellies are full they're going to the older ones, then they're moving to the rain forest trees and palms.
"I've had a number of my team on the ground sending me photos every day. I'll be coming back up...(on March 6), then I'll be able to get on the ground and see exactly what it is."
Ms Foxcroft said she had contacted a Biosecurity officer in Mackay and shared photos of the caterpillar with her.
"They were asking me to collect (some caterpillar) for them. I'm doing everything I do for the communities for free," she said.
"The closest Qld Museum came to tracing species ID is Superfamily Noctuoidea - perhaps in Erebidae or the family Noctuidae, but they're not the same.
"As we currently don't know what measures Biosecurity will take, it looks like we'll be rearing these (caterpillars) to moths."
Ms Foxcroft said the delay in authority presence at the mountain is "unprofessional", but has pushed her to take immediate action herself.
"I just got off the phone from a lady and the caterpillars had just hit her property. It's a beautiful (property)," she said.
"I'm looking for eco-press sprays that are suitable to use in that area.
A Biosecurity Queensland spokesperson said the organisation had "provided preliminary assistance on options available to identify the caterpillars found in the Eungella region".
"Biosecurity Queensland will reach out to the reporting organisation and offer further assistance to aid in the identification effort."
