I thought for sure I had posted the moth pics here before, but I can't find the post.
Either way, salt marsh moths are so cute! Their caterpillars.... maybe not quite as cute. 😅
I've always had an aversion to hairy caterpillars but I'm trying to work on that. His little face munching on a clover is very cute, but something about his hair makes me recoil.
Southeast Texas, 5 Mar. 2024 (moth), 12 April 2024 (caterpillar)
A Hairy Moth Caterpillar.
The bristles/ hair on the body of this caterpillar are so many and so long, that they would be enough to cover another caterpillar. The main body of this caterpillar remains hidden under hair. And you can also notice water droplets accumulated in hair, it looks so beautiful.
Wasps, especially paper wasps, get a bad rap but they are beneficial insects:
That’s a cabbage white caterpillar in its jaws. Those caterpillars can cause a lot of damage to a brassica crop:
I wished this shot was clearer:
We’ve never had golden jenny blossom before so this was a surprise:
The Monarch caterpillars are getting bigger:
Lacewing larva:
Just the moss growing in the mat at our backdoor:
I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it before but I’m obsessed with trying different types of wood when grilling. Hickory is a classic here in the southern U.S. & I’ve used it many times but Alder & Maple are new for me & I can’t wait to see what difference they make in flavor:
Hopefully, this hot pepper infused suet cake will deter the raccoon that I’ve been unsuccessful in trapping:
Cottonwood seed caught in a spider web:
I was glad to see this black soldier fly in one of our compost bins. Their larvae are composting beasts during the warm months:
We went to Plot 420 but it was a work-focused visit so the only photo taken was of the moon in the East:
here’s the silliest caterpillar I think I’ve ever seen in the mangroves of Singapore. it wasn’t just hairy, but coated with a thick cottony (wax?) coating that worked quite well to confuse the passing predatory weaver ants.
I did give it a curious poke and the fluff stuck to my finger, with no ill effects. bizarre little beastie, I wonder what it’ll mature into