Ruby Tiger (?) Moth Caterpillar
e6filmuser
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Having established that, on this chilliest day, so far, of the autumn, there were no insects in my garden to photograph, I was going about gardening tasks. As I walked up some steps, I saw a brownish, furry caterpillar on one of the risers (vertical faces). I believed it was a “Wooley Bear”, the caterpillar of the Garden Tiger Moth.
Close examination, together with even closer inspection of the subsequent images, showed that it was not that species but another in the same family, Arctiidae. In fact I have not identified it for certain, some of the markings not being present. However, the closest fit is the Ruby Tiger Phragmatobia fuliginosa. There is a pale yellowish band (the labrum?) across the front of the head, above the mouth, (second, third and fourth images) not mentioned for any of the species.
The way some of the longer setae are aligned gives the appearance in side view (first and last images) of very stout setae, which misled me for a while.
The larva was stationary for several minutes. At least two of the likely species do this kind of sunbathing on sunny days in autumn and spring. They overwinter as larvae. This one kept its head well down, against the substrate, making it difficult to see and to light. I did establish that it was black, rather than brown.
I managed to do a little “gardening” to remove some leaves between shots.
EM-1, extension, Printing Nikkor 150mm at f11 and at 1:1 and 1:2 at the sensor, 2:1 and 1:1 with crop factor, triple TTL flash, hand-held.
Harold
Close examination, together with even closer inspection of the subsequent images, showed that it was not that species but another in the same family, Arctiidae. In fact I have not identified it for certain, some of the markings not being present. However, the closest fit is the Ruby Tiger Phragmatobia fuliginosa. There is a pale yellowish band (the labrum?) across the front of the head, above the mouth, (second, third and fourth images) not mentioned for any of the species.
The way some of the longer setae are aligned gives the appearance in side view (first and last images) of very stout setae, which misled me for a while.
The larva was stationary for several minutes. At least two of the likely species do this kind of sunbathing on sunny days in autumn and spring. They overwinter as larvae. This one kept its head well down, against the substrate, making it difficult to see and to light. I did establish that it was black, rather than brown.
I managed to do a little “gardening” to remove some leaves between shots.
EM-1, extension, Printing Nikkor 150mm at f11 and at 1:1 and 1:2 at the sensor, 2:1 and 1:1 with crop factor, triple TTL flash, hand-held.
Harold
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Comments
Thanks.
I should point out that these are in the sequence on the card. Deletions in the field mean that newer images fill the vacant positions.
Harold