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| 1 | 2 | 3 |  » Stats |
Members: 48,655
Threads: 78,892
Posts: 821,435
Top Poster: glsammy (14,779)
| | Welcome to our newest member, redfrag | |  | 
31-05-2009, 05:44 PM
|  | New Member | | Join Date: May 2009 Location: Bristol
Posts: 4
| | | Identify hairy caterpillar
Spotted this little fella yesterday. He was a couple of centimeters long and we found him in our garden in Bristol. We'd love to know what he is.
Thank you   |
31-05-2009, 05:47 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Outside Bewdley in a wood with stream in garden.
Posts: 2,882
| | | Re: Identify hairy caterpillar
was he on a rose leaf?
oops - meant to say I think it maybe a vapourer of some sort?
Last edited by tufftie; 31-05-2009 at 05:52 PM.
|
31-05-2009, 05:52 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: May 2009 Location: Bristol
Posts: 4
| | | Re: Identify hairy caterpillar
No he was just strolling across the path. We don't have any roses in our garden although next door do have some that are higher than our fence. |
31-05-2009, 06:07 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,350
| | | Re: Identify hairy caterpillar
tuffties right, its a very early instar Vapourer, Orgyia antiqua |
31-05-2009, 06:27 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: May 2009 Location: Bristol
Posts: 4
| | | Re: Identify hairy caterpillar
Quote:
Originally Posted by charlieb  tuffties right, its a very early instar Vapourer, Orgyia antiqua | Thank you very much - after searching for this on google I found that it is also called a rusty tussock |
31-05-2009, 06:36 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,350
| | | Re: Identify hairy caterpillar
Quote:
Originally Posted by squirrel girl after searching for this on google I found that it is also called a rusty tussock | Never heard that one before! |
04-06-2009, 04:24 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 10
| | | Re: Identify hairy caterpillar
 fantastic - my son just found one of these and we came on to ask and found this post.
Does anyone know what the sticky out bits from their head and tail are for? Just curious |
04-06-2009, 05:32 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,350
| | | Re: Identify hairy caterpillar
Quote:
Originally Posted by capobay Does anyone know what the sticky out bits from their head and tail are for? Just curious | I once read somewhere that they may be a deterrent to certain parasitic species which lay their eggs inside caterpillars. If they see some lumps on the back of the caterpillar, they assume it has already been parastitized and find another on which to lay their eggs.
No idea if it's true, but it's quite possible. If you compare photos of older Vapourer larvae: 
with this Fox Moth that has been parasitized 
you get the (gruesome) idea. | | |
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