Is the drinker moth rare?
The Drinker Moth is found throughout much of the British Isles but commonest in the southern half of England, becoming less frequent further north.
What to feed a drinker moth caterpillar?
This is the caterpillar of the drinker moth (Euthrix potatoria) so called because the caterpillar is believed to drink drops of dew on grass stems. They like damp and marshy places best, riversides and fens, but anywhere grassy will do; grasses, particularly cocks-foot and canary grass, are their main food plants.
What do Fox Moth caterpillars eat?
The caterpillars hatch within three weeks and feed on a variety of food plants including Heathers, Bramble, Sallows, Bilberry, Salad Burnet and Meadowsweet. The fully grown caterpillars are often seen basking in the sun on paths and low vegetation prior to over wintering in leaf litter and loose soil.
What are hairy caterpillars?
The “hairy caterpillar” is a larvae form of what ultimately becomes a moth (commonly known as the White Cedar Moth). They congregate in large masses, and are foliage eaters. As they feed on their host tree, they tend to blend with the colour of the tree, throughout their various development stages.
What does a drinker moth look like?
Males are usually a warm orange-brown, with feathered antennae. Females tend to be yellower, with thin antennae. They can be distinguished from similar eggar moths by the diagonal line on the forewing, usually with two white spots beneath it.
What do brown furry caterpillars turn into?
The most common black and brown fuzzy caterpillar is known as the woolly bear caterpillar, which turns into a tiger moth species when mature. You watch this “bear” turn into a “tiger” by keeping one as an insect pet during the larval stage.
Is there an app to identify moths?
It’s a smartphone app and web platform that uses image recognition AI (Artificial Intelligence) to help identify moths and butterflies (and caterpillars too!) in photos, which can be later verified by members of the LepSnap community.
What kind of food does a drinker moth eat?
Drinker moth caterpillar This is the caterpillar of the drinker moth (Euthrix potatoria) so called because the caterpillar is believed to drink drops of dew on grass stems. They like damp and marshy places best, riversides and fens, but anywhere grassy will do; grasses, particularly cocks-foot and canary grass, are their main food plants.
Where does the drinker moth live in the UK?
The Drinker Moth is found throughout much of the British Isles but commonest in the southern half of England, becoming less frequent further north. Habitat includes a wide range of damp habitats particularly those with broad leaved, coarse grasses and reeds as well as being recorded in gardens.
How big are the caterpillars of the drinker moth?
The fully grown Drinker moth caterpillar. The fully grown caterpillars are about 70 mm in length and are frequently seen basking in sunshine on top of low lying vegetation. Just prior to pupation they darken and become less active.
How does a drinker moth form a cocoon?
The cocoon featured was formed by a caterpillar reared from eggs laid by a female Drinker Moth attracted to light. Constructed amongst bramble leaves and stems it didn’t have such an elongated, papery structure as those formed in the wild by caterpillars on the stems of reeds.
