Caterpillar Express!

Paul Iddon

Well, not really, unless you scroll down through the images quickly! :rofl


After looking around the garden and finding the capsid bug, afterwards I came across holes in leaves on the geranium and a wild geranium that are in a small bed by the back door of the house. I suspect they are Large White butterfly caterpillars, though one (the bigger one) was distinctly darker with different markings and may be another species.


I admit to taking the leaves off and shooting them indoors to be sure of no wind and no escapees, and in some I used bounce flash to aid illumination in addition to the light from the window.








Here is a passenger hitching a ride (don't know what kind of fly it is)...





Two together:





The front end of one, the back end of the other!





Possibly my favourite of them all:





Last but by no means least, the bigger one on its own...















Hope you enjoy the series.


Paul.

Lord Vetinari

Lovely series Paul.
The fly is actually a parasitoid wasp of some type but wouldn't think the caterpillar is it's intended victim.
Brian V.

Paul Iddon

Thank you Brian.

I wondered if it was something waspish, lol...


Paul.

Skippy

Paul Iddon wrote:

Well, not really, unless you scroll down through the images quickly!

After looking around the garden and finding the capsid bug, afterwards I came across holes in leaves on the geranium and a wild geranium that are in a small bed by the back door of the house. I suspect they are Large White butterfly caterpillars, though one (the bigger one) was distinctly darker with different markings and may be another species.

I admit to taking the leaves off and shooting them indoors to be sure of no wind and no escapees, and in some I used bounce flash to aid illumination in addition to the light from the window.

Here is a passenger hitching a ride (don't know what kind of fly it is)...
Two together:
The front end of one, the back end of the other!
Possibly my favourite of them all:
Last but by no means least, the bigger one on its own...
Hope you enjoy the series.

Paul.

The little blighters can chew up the leaves pretty darn fast can't they.
Wonder if the wasp planted some eggs onto the caterpillar during it's encounter with it ??

Hope they don't destroy too much of your plants Paul.
Nice series ... Skippy
.

Paul Iddon

Thanks Skippy. The caterpillars (there were plenty of them) were relocated by the garages at the bottom of the street on suitable weeds!


Paul.