This scary looking mini beast is a vapourer moth caterpillar. We found it on our butterfly bush and took a few pictures. The male moth of these caterpillars actually comes out during the day to feed, the females are flightless and look like hairy woodlice.
The vapourer caterpillar can be found on most trees and bushes and when very small can spin silk that is picked up by wind currents to transport them to other plant life, just like spiders.
Picture of Vapourer Moth Caterpillar.
Photographer: Marie snapped this photograph
moths are beautiful and very cool
Come across your caterpillar close-up while looking for the reason these moths are called vapourer. Brilliant macro lens shot of one of our more attractive caterpillars, still cant find out where the “vapourer” name has come from.
My patio pots and cistus border are infested with them. Not being a bug lover, is there something I can spray them with to get rid of them?
I have found what I think is a vapourer moth caterpillar …or two…on dwarf broad beans.
I can’t copy the photo here from I photo.
Is this likely to be right?