The eggs of the Dot Moth are laid in summer, sometimes separately, sometimes in large groups and hatch after just one week. The caterpillars of the Dot Moth feed themselves especially at night. By day they usually rest on the underside of a leaf.
Most of the caterpillars crawl into the ground in autumn, where they spin a cocoon in which they overwinter. Pupation takes place in spring in the same cocoon. A smaller part of the larvae overwinter in the host plant or among leaf litter. After overwintering these also go underground to pupate.
The caterpillar comes in two colour varieties: brown or green. On the back there are a number of V-shaped markings, which especially stand out on the segments 4, 5 and 11. There also is a thin, white dorsal line. On the eleventh segment there is a conspicuous bump. The caterpillar will reach a length of some 40mm.
The Dot Moth's caterpillar uses an enormous variety of foodplants. Lowgrowing plants such as dandelions are eaten, but also higher growing nettles and thistles, or shrubs and trees, such as birch and sallow. It is also interested in many garden plants, such as toadflax, fuchsia and dahlia.
Tags: Melanchra persicariae Dot Moth Caterpillar Moth Woodham Fen South Woodham Ferrers Essex Essex Wildlife Trust
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A close-up of the face of the Vapourer Moth caterpillar that is currently decimating my front garden apparently single handed!
Tags: Caterpillar Face Vapourer Moth Orgyia antiqua Summer August 2015 Feathery Hairy Macro
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Writhing mass of Peacock butterfly caterpillars! I was both fascinated and repelled by these! Apparently they live gregariously like this until they are almost mature!
Tags: Sunningwell Peacock Caterpillars Caterpillar Nettles Gregarious Inachis io Butterfly Spines
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First ever sighting of an Emperor Moth Caterpillar today! It was crawling at quite some speed along the seawall at Felixstowe Ferry!
Tags: Emperor Moth Caterpillar Felixstowe Ferry Suffolk Caterpillar 2020 June Summer Saturnia pavonia
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Walking along the sea wall at Heybridge Basin this morning we saw 100's of caterpillar tents like this one! They will be facing an infestation of caterpillars come the spring next year!
Tags: Heybridge Basin Blackthorn Caterpillar Tent Winter December 2015 Insect
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