Elephant Hawk Moth

The magnificent caterpillar of the even more magnificent Elephant Hawk Moth (Deilephila elpenor). I've spotted 3 in our garden this season. I think it's easy, human maybe, to marvel at nature from other climes whilst overlooking our own. But if you take the time, you'll see we're surrounded by wonders.

Pale Tussock Caterpillar

Pale Tussock (Calliteara pudibunda) caterpillar.

Knotgrass moth caterpillar

A Knotgrass moth caterpillar (Acronicta rumicis).

Six spot Burnet

Todays caterpillar is that of the Six spot Burnet (Zygaena filipendulae): the Six spot Burnet is a day flying moth you'd certainly recognize from hot sunny days walking in grassland, it's the distinctive black one with red spots on its wings. You know the one. We saw several of these pulpy little fellows clinging to the stout grasses covering the ramparts at Badbury.

Peacock caterpillar

Following my previous post on caterpillars, there's not mistaking what this seething mass of Peacock Butterfly (Aglais io) caterpillars is saying; black and spiky, they're saying neither 'you ain't seen me, right' nor 'ooh look at me', no they're saying 'f*ck off!'. Further, the Peacock Butterfly caterpillar follows an opposite path to the Drinker Moth caterpillar by going from plain caterpillar to flamboyant butterfly.  It's a funny old world.

Drinker Moth caterpillar

Nature always was to trump even the most imaginative scifi, just look at this Drinker Moth (Euthrix potatoria) caterpillar looking like something from out of this world. Caterpillars, what's their game? You'd think caterpillars would keep their heads down, what with them being all squishy and vulnerable and some of them do, the 'you ain't seen me, right' types that look like twigs of leaves, but not all of them, some are like, 'ooh look at me' all colourful hairs, tufts and markings. I know evolution dictates that both parties must developed their looks with purpose, but what and why, and how and why as in the case of above caterpillar do they change from colourful examples of exuberant embellishment into beautiful, yet plain almost mono coloured moths/butterflies? Still, easily set to wonder as I am, for me every encounter with a caterpillar is akin to meeting an alien and has me gawping slack jawed.