Caterpillar of a California Sister on the vein of an oak leaf
This is another shot of the tiny caterpillar of a California Sister (Adelpha bredowii) butterfly on a half-eaten leaf of Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia, Fagaceae) that I've shown before in this photo from a week ago. That stalk that it's hanging over is a main vein of the oak leaf after the green part has been eaten away, and if you compare my earlier photo of the same caterpillar, you can see how much of the leaf it's eaten in a week. (Not much, it's still tiny.) That extended vein of the leaf is surprising - if you look close, you can see that the entire vein is wrapped with webbing, presumably for strength. The vein isn't just a leftover, it's a deliberate structure! See my other photo for links to more photos of the same thing that I'm just starting to appreciate. (San Marcos Pass, 12 June 2020)
Caterpillar of a California Sister on the vein of an oak leaf
This is another shot of the tiny caterpillar of a California Sister (Adelpha bredowii) butterfly on a half-eaten leaf of Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia, Fagaceae) that I've shown before in this photo from a week ago. That stalk that it's hanging over is a main vein of the oak leaf after the green part has been eaten away, and if you compare my earlier photo of the same caterpillar, you can see how much of the leaf it's eaten in a week. (Not much, it's still tiny.) That extended vein of the leaf is surprising - if you look close, you can see that the entire vein is wrapped with webbing, presumably for strength. The vein isn't just a leftover, it's a deliberate structure! See my other photo for links to more photos of the same thing that I'm just starting to appreciate. (San Marcos Pass, 12 June 2020)