Pretty patterns that we don't really want........

[Kobione]

This sort of pattern has appeared very quickly on a number of leaves over the last few days:

I went to see what I could find and saw these, one of the Cup Moth family caterpillars, that hatch and eat their way as a group up the leaves, as you can see here:

This is a group of slightly bigger ones:

Here you can see the different stages as they develop:

They are quite hard to get as the grouping instinct is very strong and they keep moving close together constantly. They do a lot of damage to native trees, so we will have to spray selected trees to keep them away. We don't really like doing that, but there are plenty of natural food plants around, so we have to save the garden! Oh, and by the way, yes they do sting, so the spikes are a warning!

[Phil]

It truly is a very strange world you live in :)

[annie]

another great informative set from you there kobione.

[Terry]

Great set, #3 is my favourite

[Guest]

Ugly so and so's aren't they.

[colinb]

you do realise this just isn't the way too encourage me to come visit ? :huh:

[NannyFerret]

Amazing! This is certainly better then the lessons we had at school many moons ago.

[fuzzyedges]

You went looking for these ????

Thank the lord they dont come looking for you

[KateW]

Wow!

[Korky]

I like number 3 too. Very strange looking creatures.

Are they edible? They look like they'd be lovely and crisp if they were deep fried

Korky

[Heather]

well i was just about to say how cute they were till i read they sting !

im up for korkys idea instead now :)

[Kobione]

Heather, Korky, I'm guessing they come into a 'food chain' at some point, because there are so many of them, and they obviously don't all survive to maturity, otherwise we would be swamped with Cup Moths and we're not. There would be easily 300-400 on the plant I looked at and without intervention it would be leafless in another couple of days. However - I don't fancy eating them!!!!!!

No, Fuzzy, they don't come looking for us, but you have to be quite careful in looking for them. I got mildly stung 3 or 4 times by ones that were on leaves and I didn't spot them when I took the pictures!

Colin - this is just the start of the list!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the comments anyway, gang, hope some of my stuff keeps you a bit entertained, even if not 'perfect' :D