Also in the woods it was almost literally raining caterpillars. Hundreds, thousands of the things. Even though we removed as we went, I still managed to take at least 20 from our clothing when we got home, pretty much exclusively what I take to be Mottled Umber, in a range of sizes. Hopefully they will live on on our hedge!
Dave Morris, Seer Green
Hi Dave,
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely excellent! Coleophora lutarea for sure and a really good sighting for Bucks. There was just the one record for the county from Buttler's Hangings by Phil Sterling in 1988 until I stumbled across it in Bernwood Forest last year. Very well done!
The caterpillars you've been seeing, by the way, will mostly be Winter Moth and Mottled Umber. They were around in absolutely huge numbers in woodland last spring, leaving a lot of blackthorn and sallow defoliated for a while, and it seems that numbers may have been quite high this year too although the lock-down has meant it has been more difficult to check.
Thanks Dave. I found your post on here from last year about this moth!
ReplyDeleteMost of the caterpillars I've seen are on beech; some of the trees are completely ragged!
As a general thing, I've found it useful when people on here (often you!), facebook groups, and Colin Plant on his Herts & Middx moths newsletter, suggest specific things to look out for. I've previously found Apodia bifractella on Fleabane for example, and now this.