Fox Moth

The hairy caterpillars of this species are still around, feeding up before they descend into the ground vegetation and leaf litter to hibernate through the winter. They feed on a variety of plants including heather, bramble, bilberry and willows. This one which I photographed just now was close to 70mm long, which is about as large as they get. In the spring, they will feed some more before pupating and emerging as the adult moth. It isn't a particularly spectacular moth - not as brightly coloured as the caterpillar, anyway - and has a wingspan which is also about 70mm.
Malcolm

Fox Moth

These caterpillars are abundant in rough grassland at the moment...

Photos from Robert Mill

Thanks to Robert Mill for sending us these photos as well as an extensive list of his sightings whilst on holiday on Islay and Colonsay.
Becky

Anagallis tenella - Bog Pimpernel

Macrothylacia rubi - Fox Moth

Polygonum raii -  Ray’s Knotgrass

Neottia ovata - Common Twayblade 

News from our lepidopteran world

It's all happening here this morning with our first Small Tortoiseshell having emerged from its chrysalis and the Fox Moth caterpillars having hatched. The butterfly has now been released.
Becky

September sunshine...

I don't need to tell any of you on Islay what a brilliant day it was on Sunday, the island was looking glorious in the late September sunshine. A great day for raptor spotting - out and about around Loch Gorm and Gruinart looking for the newly arrived Barnacle Geese I saw 3 Peregrine Falcons, 4 Buzzards, 2 Hen Harriers and a Sparrowhawk.

The white goose that Ian mentions on the mighty Islay Birds blog as being on the wee loch next to Loch Gorm is pictured below, I don't know if it's some kind of hybrid or an albino, but either way I don't recognise it! It seemed to be a fair bit larger than the Greylags it was swimming around with.

A quiet day for caterpillars (isn't every day?) though I did see what I think is a fully grown Fox Moth caterpillar crossing the road at no great speed near Saligo, kindly giving a grub/larvae of some description a lift...