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Whatos this caterpillar?: |
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yellowhammer Member Joined: 13 Jun 2006 No. of posts: 22  View other posts by yellowhammer |
Posted: 17 Sep 2006 Hello everyone, found this bad boy yesterday, does anyone know what sort of moth it is? cheers, Ian Cheers, Ian |
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Peter Vaughan Senior Member Joined: 21 Mar 2005 No. of posts: 170  View other posts by Peter Vaughan |
Posted: 17 Sep 2006 Hello Ian It is a Fox Moth caterpillar Macrothylacia rubi - they grow big (for caterpillars) - I saw once saw one in mid-October at an estimated 7cm long. The full grown caterpillars hibernate in moss or leaf litter, pupate in the spring and then emerge as adults in early summer. The adult moth is half the length, and less striking in appearance, than the caterpillar. For those interested in other lepidopteral matters, I saw a second brood White Admiral butterfly out on the wing at my local heathland reserve this morning - most years they only manage one brood in June/July. I had been out looking for reptiles and saw one medium-sized Grass Snake basking at the base of a log-pile - which quickly retreated under cover. That was at 10am, in warm, bright sunshine. I revisited the spot half an hour later but the snake has not reappeared. Peter Peter Vaughan |
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Suzi Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 No. of posts: 860 View other posts by Suzi |
Posted: 17 Sep 2006 Is this also the moth that has quite large hatches? If so it is the one I've seen over heathland attracting up to three hobbies at a time as they scooped up the hundreds of moths in flight. An amazing sight. Suz |
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Peter Vaughan Senior Member Joined: 21 Mar 2005 No. of posts: 170 View other posts by Peter Vaughan |
Posted: 17 Sep 2006 Suzi I wasn't sure about the answer to your question, so I consulted Tim Norris, the Hampshire Butterfly Conservation Society Moth Officer. He thinks your sighting is of the Fox Moth, and has also witnessed Hobbies eating moths over heathland, with the birds pulling off the moths' wings with their beaks (and discarding them) in the process. I've not seen that myself but have seen a Hobby take a dragonfly in flight. That was at Thursley Common, when I visited it a couple of years ago. I hope the dragonflies, living as nymphs in the ponds and as adults around them, were reasonably protected in the recent fire at that site. Peter Peter Vaughan |
- Whatos this caterpillar? |
