It’s that time of year when butterflies and moths take to the air with their colourful aerial displays. But don’t forget they were once caterpillars – and some of these can be just as colourful in their own right.
Caterpillar – Six Spotted Burnet moth
Caterpillar – Lackey moth
Caterpillars make a great snack for some birds and beetles so they tend to hide away in the undergrowth. If you take the time searching you will find some of these colourful creatures.
Caterpillar – Yellow Tail moth
You’ve probably noticed that all the above caterpillars are very hairy, but why is this? Recent research has concluded this is a defense mechanism to protect the caterpillar from beetles that prey on caterpillars. The longer the hairs the harder it is for the beetle to catch and eat a caterpillar. The Garden Tiger moth has taken hairy defence to the next level! See photo below.
Amazing hair on this Garden Tiger moth caterpillar
Fen Photos. 