A nature conservation blog about the fauna and flora of Wilden Marsh Nature Reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest in the Lower Stour Valley, Worcestershire, England.
A nature conservation blog about the fauna and flora of Wilden Marsh Nature Reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest in the Lower Stour Valley, Worcestershire, England.
The caterpillars hatch and feed on the developing seed pod. They are green and extremely hard to spot. Orange-tip caterpillars are cannibalistic, liable to eat another of their own species should they meet. Each caterpillar leaves its foodplant to overwinter as a chrysalis, probably in bushes and tall vegetation.
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Our local BC group does a lot of egg, chrysalis and caterpillar monitoring, as well monitoring the adults of course! Sadly with my mobility issues many of the routes are a bit inaccessible to me but I always get a kick out of the photos the others get π There are quite a number of cannibalistic caterpillars of both moths and butterflies! Lepidotera are such a fascinating and diverse species π
What a great shot, Mike.
As I’ve said before, you must have a very steady hand (or a great tripod). My butterfly images rarely look this good.
Thanks Vicki. I have an uncanny ability to wait until the butterfly is perfectly still. π
Oh wonderful shot Mike π I’ve seen a few fluttering about but not settling anywhere!
Around cuckoo flowers I bet!
How did you know π
The caterpillars hatch and feed on the developing seed pod. They are green and extremely hard to spot. Orange-tip caterpillars are cannibalistic, liable to eat another of their own species should they meet. Each caterpillar leaves its foodplant to overwinter as a chrysalis, probably in bushes and tall vegetation.
Our local BC group does a lot of egg, chrysalis and caterpillar monitoring, as well monitoring the adults of course! Sadly with my mobility issues many of the routes are a bit inaccessible to me but I always get a kick out of the photos the others get π There are quite a number of cannibalistic caterpillars of both moths and butterflies! Lepidotera are such a fascinating and diverse species π
Thanks for the info, Sarah.
No problem π
WOW! marvelous!!!
π