Pale Tussock Moth caterpillar on Hazel

Nice65

Brilliant!
Apr 16, 2009
6,862
3,285
W.Sussex
Well, on the ground beneath Hazel. A pretty caterpillar that looks like a catkin and the red tuft resembling the insignificant male Hazel flowers. Not sure he’s going to last long in October so googled it. Apparently they’re seen into October and aren’t exclusive to Hazel at all. It’ll overwinter somewhere in the tree I popped it back into and emerge as a big Pale Tussock moth in Spring :)

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Last edited:

Van-Wild

Full Member
Feb 17, 2018
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UK
That looks almost luminous! I'll have to keep my peepers open for one myself!

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
 
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slowworm

Full Member
May 8, 2008
2,175
1,109
Devon
Nice photos. I often find one or two of these little 'pillars each year but they seem far to elaborate for such an animal.

(BTW, the red flowers on hazel are the female flowers).
 
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