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| Larva of Jersey Tiger, Euplagia quadripunctaria. Hayes, 10 May 2017. |
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| Larva of Jersey Tiger, Euplagia quadripunctaria. Hayes, 10 May 2017. |
They are increasing in numbers. Here's a post on Jersey Tiger moths from 2012, when they turned up in twos and threes. Last year I had over 30 in my trap one day.
These caterpillars are not fussy about what they eat.
Bright colours are usually a warning to predators that the bright creatures are poisonous or distasteful. Those hairs have a reputation for being very irritating. They look a lot like the small spines on some cacti, that can get stuck in your skin and are indeed irritating, so I was not tempted to handle it.
I saw another caterpillar recently, and it's in this post of Jubilee Country Park photos. That's what you would normally expect a caterpillar to look like.
Hi Bill, the Larva of the Jersey Tiger is very handsome isn't it?
ReplyDeleteI've been doing surveys of Hawk-Moths in High Elms and other locations in Bromley recently and haven't had much luck. It's my first time. Am i too early? I've been sugaring tree stumps but these have yet to attract anything other than an amazing amount of ants.(My maple syrup bait did attract a Dorcus parallelipipedus last week though!) More about this on my blog.
Any tips you can kindly give me for hunting for them in Bromley?
Thanks
We got a couple of hawkmoths at Sevenoaks last week, including a Lime Hawkmoth, so the season is here. In my garden trap, I have to go back to 2013 for my last sighting, when I had one about now and one mid-July. So I am clearly no expert on finding them in Bromley!
ReplyDeleteI sometimes find some Stags and Lesser Stags around my garden light trap, in June, often covered with lots of spider webbing. They must go and look in dark places once they have landed.
That's comforting to hear. As a student i can't afford a light trap so im currently just use homemade bait lures and generally looking out for them.
ReplyDeleteHaha, that's an interesting observation. I've been wondering recently if cockchafers are attracted to light, do they ever turn up in your light traps?