Scarlet Tigers survive the wet winter

Back in 2009 my son discovered Scarlet Tiger caterpillars in our village, the first time they'd been recorded from this area. Fortunately they have maintained a presence ever since then, and I was pleased to see at least ten caterpillars again today. I didn't get a photo but below are the caterpillars from 2009.

In our village they feed on Green Alkanet, and today's ones were making large holes all over the leaves of some rather straggly plants growing on a bank just outside a garden. This bank has been sprayed with herbicide in the recent past, and the Alkanet is growing on fairly bare ground, but it seems to be what the caterpillars like. There are plenty of lusher plants nearby but I couldn't find any caterpillars on them. Martin Harvey