Caterpillar diary entry 2

As you may know from my last caterpillar diary entry, I am looking after a pupa of a butterfly. Last time I wrote that the species was a Small Tortoiseshell, and I did also write that I am not very good at Identifying insect larvae. That couldn’t be more true as today, after buying a new butterfly book, I found out that the caterpillar was not a Small Tortoiseshell but a Large White.

A Large White butterfly on a nasturtium!

This also explains why nasturtiums were the food choice for the caterpillar and it refused the nettles I offered it.

not a Small Tortoiseshell but a Large White

To conclude, it is easy to make mistakes when identifying larvae! Meanwhile, the pupa is still metamorphosing...

Caterpillar diary entry 1

The old fish tank

I have never before kept caterpillars; I don't really think it is fair to just pick one up and place it in a small container with a few leaves.

However, I found a small caterpillar helping itself to the nasturtiums when I got back from school last Thursday. As a budding entomologist, I thought to myself 'what species is that?' (Despite loving butterflies and moths so much, I am not good at identifying their larvae.) I decided to keep him in the old fish tank, with a layer of soil, some twigs and the nasturtium plant it was on.

a small caterpillar that I found helping itself to the nasturtiums

I identified it as a small tortoiseshell. It was a shock when we found out its main food plant is stinging nettles. So after going to fetch some stinging nettles, (as you do), and then showing the caterpillar where the nettles are, the hungry caterpillar decided to barely touch them and eat the nasturtiums instead.

The main reason I didn't blog this was because after a day or two, the caterpillar stopped eating and sat at the top of the tank. We had thought for a long time that he had died and after all, a missing trail camera is way more interesting.

Today, however, when I got home it had pupated. I had been about to give up on the caterpillar so I was very surprised to find the pupa. I would really like it to reach adulthood.

It pupated! (that is a 5p coin)

It has been an interesting story to follow and I have learnt this major fact: Small tortoiseshell caterpillars eat nasturtiums, even though the books say they love stinging nettles.

Trail cam-stolen

One of my trail cameras has disappeared from Buchan Park's Target Hill heathland. So, in memory, I have made a short film of favourite clips from that trail camera.

I have stopped doing the trail camera project until after the half term break, as I am going to the New Forest for a holiday then.

Two trips to Warnham LNR

I have been to Warnham LNR twice recently, once with a friend and once with family, and I have, like always, seen a wealth of wildlife. I saw the kingfisher hunting successfully and the first flock of geese so far this Autumn. A grey heron came up close to the heron hide, hunting in the reeds. A little grebe came close and walking around on the top of the reserve I found a legless lizard, also known as the Slow worm. A common blue let my friend and I get up close to it and take some macro photos. While eating food on a picnic table, a robin came an arm's length away and let us get some shots.

A grey heron hunting

A common blue

A Robin

I hope that I visit again soon.