Caterpillars

These should all be pupating now, so any left out, acting odd like this one just sitting have likely been parasitised by some type of Parasitic Wasp.

Recently I had my friends bug house to store a few moths for a few days. We did a Moth Trap and Moth day for the kids near Church Wood, and I worried if weather went mad...yada yada so had a lovely Light Emerald in there for a night and this is the present she left me :S Hatching imminent....

Found several of these, one on my Mint and two on my Pink Campion, look like they are just about ready to pupate :)

Need to do some checking, so titled for my friend Ray .. :P

Mullein Moth Pupa Full story Here These are really fantastic pupa, with that appendige (part of the antennae and wing tips I think), they of course are brilliant large fantastical looking moths as well.

Mullein Moth Cocoon Full story Here

Mullein Moth Cocoon Full story Here

I know all my contacts are dying to know whats happening with the McMulty family of 8 (Mullein moths) that I had eating my poor Buddleia to the knub..lol During the week of 6 June 2011, I went on a trip to Sandwich Bay, leaving instructions for my hubby on the care and watching of the various caterpillars I've got on the patio..lol I left him a pre prepared bug tub ready with dirt. Told him if they begin to wander around pop the two biggest ones you can find into the tub. Between the 9th & 12th they did just that, all began to scatter. He scooped up two and they immediately dug down into the dirt. So these are the two cocoons that were in my tub. 5 of them are scattered around hopefully having found suitable places to dig down and have a sleep. Sadly one of them didn't find the dirt in time and began making his change beside my watering can, popped him into some dirt but not sure how he will do. The two above have built little dirt cocoons which took about one week to get finished and then turn them selves into a pupal case inside. This is not a caterpillar to raise for the impatient, its going to be a long term relationship as they can stay in this state for up to at least 3 years!! I did read somewhere it could be upto 5, but 3 sounds more like it. In my research I found that there was a serious lack of photos of this stage, and of the pupa, so I did open one of the cocoons (quite typical actions when rearing moths, most people store them as pupa) just a small hole to get him out and photograph him, and placed him back inside. Hopefully some day I will have moths emerge in April-May :)

Outrageous caterpillars :D

The McMullty Sibling Rivalry...

My poor Buddliea, welpt it knew what it was infor when I brought it home. They all fight over this one stem, and have been for days. I have 8 Cats on this young Buddliea well 2 go back and forth from the Mullein, but at least 6 at one time trying to eat on this one stem.

They have great face plates with 'faces' on them, it was interesting to me that although they maintain all thier bodily spots during a moult they loose the face spots, those slowly come back. The smaller photo was taken about 30mins before the larger. By a few hours his 'face' is back.

Caught this guy moulting and the interesting thing about this process, is that unlike alot of caterpillars that create mini cocoons or webs or roll leaves to moult these guys can't be bothered, they simply walk right out of the old skin.

Ah Tippy B, Bon Voyage Tippy... Tippy A (Orange Tip Butterfly Caterpillar) disappeared about 4 days ago to run off with some fluusy, which no doubt will leave him heart broken and he'll come running home to mum....em... OK ok... he went off to pupate but I haven't found were, now Tippy B has flown the coup too.