#lepdioptera

[coolbugs]

Bug of the Day

I have captured a beautiful moment between friends <3 :-D

(Straight-lined Plagodis, Plagodis phlogosaria, and tiny beet, probably a marsh beetle)

[giantleopardmoth]

I keep finding these three snuggled up like this. It's totally adorable!

[giantleopardmoth]

This is the second time I’ve found these two particular caterpillars cuddled up like this. I can’t say I know the reason for it, but it’s cute anyway. They are such teddy bears. Long, wiggly teddy bears.

Fox moth caterpillars, Macrothylacia rubi and do you know what, if Tumblr decides to be useless and show the code again instead of italicising the binomial name I am going to moult into a final horrifying human-cicada hybrid form and scream from the top of the nearest tree.

[giantleopardmoth]

Delicious dandelion nommings with Tomato!

[giantleopardmoth]

That is the campest butt I've ever seen. Drinker moth caterpillar, Euthrix potatoria, ~3rd instar.

[giantleopardmoth]

Another day, another lasiocampid.

Early instar drinker moth caterpillar, Euthrix potatoria.

[giantleopardmoth]

I have a few sticks that I’ve reused for various batches of caterpillars. Here’s Ol’ Reliable, laced with traces of the silk of peacock caterpillars, hornworms, silkworms, and now red admirals…

[giantleopardmoth]

Newbie number one, a colourful dark dagger moth caterpillar (Acronicta tridents) - the hunchback is not a hair tussock, but a risen hump of flesh; it seems odd, but it is natural for this species. For all of its resemblance to the tussock moth caterpillars, this species is actually a noctuid - a kind of hairy cutworm, in other words. The adult form resembles its owlet moth classification far more.

This caterpillar is small, and seems to be in his second or third instar. I spotted it sleeping on a blackberry. Again, no name yet, but I am thinking about "Hallow."