Pyrastis Webbing Moth 1
Salma pyrastis. When I first stumbled across this large (approx. 45mm) caterpillar I was impressed by its size, vibrant colour and markings. Easy to photograph I thought, but not so. Not only did the wind blow its twiggy home around wildly but the caterpillar seemed to detect my presence from about a metre away and immediately retreated to the safety of its silken shelter. Shortly after its retreat it routinely turned around to face head down, not to emerge until hours later, if at all. My almost daily visits over a 10-day period resulted in just one occasion when I came across the caterpillar fully emerged. I eventually found the silken shelter empty and no sign of the caterpillar in the foliage. I assume that its bright colours and daytime feeding mean that it is unpalatable to birds, so it may have left its feeding to pupate elsewhere on the Eucalypt.
Pyrastis Webbing Moth 1
Salma pyrastis. When I first stumbled across this large (approx. 45mm) caterpillar I was impressed by its size, vibrant colour and markings. Easy to photograph I thought, but not so. Not only did the wind blow its twiggy home around wildly but the caterpillar seemed to detect my presence from about a metre away and immediately retreated to the safety of its silken shelter. Shortly after its retreat it routinely turned around to face head down, not to emerge until hours later, if at all. My almost daily visits over a 10-day period resulted in just one occasion when I came across the caterpillar fully emerged. I eventually found the silken shelter empty and no sign of the caterpillar in the foliage. I assume that its bright colours and daytime feeding mean that it is unpalatable to birds, so it may have left its feeding to pupate elsewhere on the Eucalypt.