Caterpillars

Very small as you can sorta tell these are all on one Bramble leaf, they will get quite large and far more colorful :)

Spun up and safe, now waiting to emerge. We saw soo many of these pupae in the fields that I was able to get them in different stages.

Another pupa, this one has spun but hasn't turned white yet.

If you look at the large image you can see he is just beginning to spin his pupa.

There are lots and lots of these caterpillars this year, its a bumper year for the Tortoiseshells :)

I've been looking and looking at these when I find them, hoping to find just this. You can find these tiny little stick structures on the tops of leaves like bramble usually and even on fence posts (wood ones usually, but I've seen them on metal as well). Some folks may have seen this shot of mine from last spring here of me asking.... What this was. As I got more into moths and digging through to find ID's on little widgets I discovered they are infact moth caterpillars. Interestingly the Females of this species will never have wings and thats not uncommon for moths, however this one remains looking much like a caterpillar and in this house. This photo is of a larva of the moth, and he was slowly totting this up the vertical post. He'll find a suitable place and attach himself and pupate to maturity. If its a female it may well keep this house or build another and live in that.

I've been looking and looking at these when I find them, hoping to find just this. You can find these tiny little stick structures on the tops of leaves like bramble usually and even on fence posts (wood ones usually, but I've seen them on metal as well). Some folks may have seen this shot of mine from last spring here of me asking.... What this was. As I got more into moths and digging through to find ID's on little widgets I discovered they are infact moth caterpillars. Interestingly the Females of this species will never have wings and thats not uncommon for moths, however this one remains looking much like a caterpillar and in this house. This photo is of a larva of the moth, and he was slowly totting this up the vertical post. He'll find a suitable place and attach himself and pupate to maturity. If its a female it may well keep this house or build another and live in that.

Didn't measure this guy, but he was approx 2 - 3cm in legnth.

Caterpillar in the Buttercup.

Likely this guy has just come out of rolled leaves on Nettle.

Likely this guy has just come out of rolled leaves on Nettle.