I'm an iggly, I'm an iggly, what iggly am I ?

[Robbyrasta]

Found this on the back of some clover- 

[Anno]

Looks like Brown Tail moth caterpillar 

[Paul in the woods]

Time for a thread resurrection with some beetle porn.

 

(Oil beetles to be exact)

[Anno]

  On 30/03/2021 at 18:00, Paul in the woods said:

Time for a thread resurrection with some beetle porn.

 

(Oil beetles to be exact)

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Nice, dont get them up North where i am but seen them in Normandy.

[ABtrees]

Quite pleased with these little fellas (if they are what I think they are) - anyone want to have a guess ?

[Paul in the woods]

They look like rare plantain munching overwintered caterpillars. Are you on the south coast?

[ABtrees]

  On 01/04/2021 at 20:33, Paul in the woods said:

They look like rare plantain munching overwintered caterpillars. Are you on the south coast?

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You're definitely heading in the right direction with that - and no more in the middle (of France !).  Go on, name names then ?

 

[Paul in the woods]

I bit of a guess as I've not seen them but Glanville fritillary? We just get the silver washed around here.

[ABtrees]

  On 01/04/2021 at 21:00, Paul in the woods said:

I bit of a guess as I've not seen them but Glanville fritillary? We just get the silver washed around here.

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Absolutely bang on Paul - saw a few more than usual last year (see the Local Wildlife thread that I'm sorry to say I hijacked last year) so left maybe 50m2 of lawn uncut all summer long and found these 3 days ago. Chuffed.  However I'm in a bit of a quandary : I believe in generally leaving things be and letting nature take it's course BUT today was 23 degrees - next Weds forecast is for 4 inches of snow followed by minus 8 !!!  I'm not sure they'll make it so thinking of kidnapping the whole lot for a few days and putting them back afterwards - what do you reckon ?

[ABtrees]

  On 01/04/2021 at 21:00, Paul in the woods said:

I bit of a guess as I've not seen them but Glanville fritillary? We just get the silver washed around here.

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Oh and we are incredibly lucky to have found ourselves in fritilliary central : Silver -washed, Queen of Spain, Marbled, Lesser Marbled, Violet, Heath, Dark Green, Knapweed and Small Pearl Bordered to name (quite) a few !