This image of a large green and white caterpillar was sent in by wildlife guide Matthew Sussens whilst stationed at the Royal Malewane Lodge on the Thornybush Reserve, Limpopo Province, South Africa. South African moth expert Hermann Staude not only … Read More
It’s always pleasing when a search for a particular species actually pays off without undue hardship ! Last year at a stunning coastal bluebell spot lots of Scarlet Tiger moths, Callimorpha dominula, were noted flying one afternoon in a small … Read More
The highlight of last weeks trip to Trevose Lighthouse wasn’t the hoped for spectacular seawatching or early migrant birds this headland often produces but the numbers of caterpillars. On the sheltered south facing bank of the lane leading to the … Read More
Goat Moth Caterpillar Some fascinating caterpillar identification requests continue to arrive. This huge Goat Moth (Cossus cossus) caterpillar was sent in by Paul Sellens who had been reviewing images he’d taken last summer. At 100mm in length only the caterpillar … Read More
Over wintering caterpillars such as Oak Eggar, Drinker, Garden Tiger and Fox Moth are some of the hairy caterpillars seen in the last few days in various coastal sites here in the far south west of Cornwall. These early post-hibernating … Read More
Marsh Fritillary caterpillars It always seems remarkable how many species of caterpillars manage to survive the winter – particularly the last one! With the appearance of the sun several species of butterfly caterpillars have emerged from over wintering. Good numbers … Read More
It’s that time of the year when Hawkmoth caterpillars are on the move looking for somewhere to pupate in the soil. The caterpillars of Eyed Hawkmoth, Poplar Hawk-moth, Lime Hawkmoth, Privet Hawkmoth and Elephant Hawk-moth have all been see in … Read More
The Clouded Yellow Butterfly (Colias croceus) caterpillars being reared from collected eggs are growing rapidly and have been joined by an unexpected arrival. Clovers brought in from the garden three weeks ago to feed them happened to have a tiny … Read More
One butterfly that appears to doing well is the stunning Red Admiral Butterfly Despite comparatively low numbers seen earlier in the year the nettle tents containing the caterpillars seem to be quite common now. The Red Admiral Caterpillars are seldom … Read More
Caterpillars on Supermarket produce immediately raise the possibility that they have been imported from a foreign country. So on receiving images of several caterpillars on supermarket mint from Anneli in West Berkshire I was naturally suspicious but also curious. A … Read More
The fully grown Chamomile Shark caterpillar is one of the most striking and easily identified caterpillars to be found in the British Isles. The caterpillar shown right was spotted on Sea Mayweed on the cliffs at Porth Joke, near Newquay. … Read More
The caterpillars we’ve received the most identification requests for in recent weeks have been the Mullein Moth caterpillar and the The Vapourer Moth caterpillar, Orgyia antiqua. The Mullein moth caterpillar is particularly easy to identify with its strikingly bold yellow … Read More