Waved Black, A Fungus-Eating Caterpillar

e6filmuser

It was just under 10mm long and very slender. The black colour, and the bluish grey and orange markings, were very distinctive. They matched only one species in my caterpillar book, the Waved Black moth Parascotia fuliginaria. This species feeds on fungi: brackets, polypores and others on dead wood. It had surprised me by feeding, apparently on the dead wood, when I first observed it. At times, I hand to use my fingernail to remove crumbling wood blocking my view. Fortunately, it was moist and rubbery and did not send dust onto the larva.

The species was named by Linnaeus but I suspect that he did it with knowledge of the adult only.

This is one of the species which overwinters as a small larva. The individual I found was about one third of the length prior to pupation. The species is quite localised, mostly being found in some of the counties of southern England, including Berkshire.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parascotia_fuliginaria

The low magnification images were shot with my Kiron 105mm and the higher magnification ones with my Schneider HM 40 reversed on my Kiron x1.5 TC. Both lenses were at f16 and on my Olympus EM-1, with twin TTL flash. Hand-held, with some support from the table or bench.

Harold

e6filmuser

I have recently found some motion blur in flash Images with the HM40:

Here are reworked images.

Harold