This caterpillar was racing across the paving in our garden in Falmouth at the weekend. It’s not always easy to identify caterpillars but this has some distinctive markings and was in very good light which helps, even though it was … Read More
These very distinctive yellow, black and white caterpillars are now almost fully grown and easily spotted on their foodplants such as Great Mullein. This one was found in the Penhale sand dunes on the north Cornish coast and, despite being … Read More
Orange and black striped caterpillars of The Cinnabar moth are common at Penhale Dunes on the north Cornwall coast at the moment. Some Common Ragwort plants held over fifty of these boldly coloured larvae and many plants had already been … Read More
These are considered British caterpillars despite the adult butterfly being a migrant that cannot survive UK winters. The small numbers of Painted Lady butterflies seen earlier this year will have laid eggs and the hatched caterpillars should now be large … Read More
The Common Footman caterpillar is, thankfully, one of the easier species of British caterpillars to identify. There are over 2,500 British moths species and some larvae have to be reared through to the adult moth stage to be sure of … Read More
Oak Eggar (Lasiocampa quercus) Fox Moth (Macrothylacia rubi) This is a question holidaymakers in Cornwall often stop and ask us when we’re out photographing wildlife. So to help identification here are four of the most likely caterpillars to be seen … Read More
Groping around on hands and knees searching for caterpillars is one of those activities that at the time feels perfectly normal behaviour to those taking part but not necessarily to any other member of the public out for a quite … Read More
At this time of year silken webs containing sometimes hundreds of The Lackey moth caterpillars can be seen in the hedgerows. Here in Cornwall The Lackey moth seem to favour Blackthorn hedges in which to lay eggs but the webs … Read More
This caterpillar was seen sunning itself at Kynance Cove on The Lizard in Cornwall. Insight into Grass Eggar (Lasiocampa trifolii): a red data book species found mainly in southern coastal areas of England and Wales but with a small population … Read More
Garden Tiger caterpillars, also known as ‘Woolly Bears’ are on the prowl at this time of the year following winter hibernation. We found one of the early instars sitting on top of a nettle leaf at Windmill Farm Nature Reserve … Read More
We saw a number of The Drinker caterpillars on our recent visit to Windmill Farm Nature Reserve on The Lizard in Cornwall. Insight: The Drinker (Euthrix potatoria) is a moth and it gets its name from the larva’s habit of … Read More
This caterpillar was sitting on Wild Garlic or Ramsons (Allium ursinum) leaves on a path down to Bream Cove just south of Maenporth in Cornwall. Insight: The Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa) moth usually overwinters as a larva. Both the moth … Read More