A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Arctia caja
The caterpillar of the garden tiger moth is distinctively coloured, long-haired. It can grow up to 6 cm (2.4 in) long and plays dead when in danger (see pic 2). These moths are most common in June to August, in gardens, park, meadows, grasslands, and scrubby areas. Eggs are laid starting in July. Large bluish-white clutches of eggs are laid on the lower surfaces of leaves. The caterpillars hatch in August. They spend the winter on the ground in protected places and pupate from June to July of the following year. The moths hatch from July to August.The caterpillar feeds on various kinds of non-woody plants, as well as bushes and trees.
The garden tiger moth is found throughout Europe as far north as Lapland, in Asia, and in North America.
Actually, I found that it's not caterpillar of the Isabella tiger moth, or banded woolly bear, but caterpillar of the garden tiger moth. Anyway, all larvae of Arctiidae family are called woolly bears ))))
Looks like that, thanks! I like nature, but not good at names of species.
Spotted on Jun 28, 2010
Submitted on Feb 13, 2011
