Beware motorists, it's the silly season again. (1 Viewer)

harry eales · May 19, 2005

Heads up everyone, especially those of you who drive along country roads or lanes.

Today the larval 'silly season' began. If your a stranger to this odd occurrence, it is undertaken mainly by members of the 'Tiger Moths family'
who appear to have a mania for crossing roads when fully fed and looking for somewhere to pupate.

Just this afternoon alone, whilst driving just over a mile on a moorland road, I rescued 2 Garden Tiger Moth and 4 Buff Ermine/White Ermine larvae. They are all now in breeding cages. I must pick up 100 plus larva a year by this odd method of collecting.

It's surprising how easily you can 'get your eye in' and spot them, even at 40 mph +. Admittedly they are very common species all over almost the country. But, they are always worth breeding out to see if any varieties or even parasites appear.

If you adopt this method of collecting, please restrict it to minor country roads, somehow I don't think it would be appreciated during the 'Rush Hour' on a motorway.

Harry.

Gill Osborne · May 19, 2005

Oh no!!! So I don't just have to worry about baby rabbits bounding out in front of me from grass verges and pheasants taking suicidal leaps from the walls surrounding Alnwick - now I've got armies of hairy caterpillars to avoid on the actual roads!!!! LOL

I'll make a few road signs tonight Harry....something like the ones they do for Red Squirrels and Toads crossing in the spring

BEWARE! Caterpillars Crossing!

Seriously though...thanks for that Harry - I'll keep my eyes peeled and see if I can find a few for myself to watch pupate and then emerge. Haven't collected caterpillars since I was a youngster! And Neil, believe it or not, has NEVER kept them or seen them become butterflies/moths....poor chap hasn't lived!!!

Are there any special requirements I should give them? I have a few of those small ( 20 x 13 x 13cm ) plastic tanks with lids you can buy to transport small pets in. They were on special offer last year in the Pound Shop so I bought six of them...they've been invaluable for putting the Wood Mice in that I've been catching all winter until I can evict them in the woods or miles away down the hill! Will they be any good with soil/compost in the bottom or will they be too small?

GILL

harry eales · May 19, 2005

Gill Osborne said:
Oh no!!! So I don't just have to worry about baby rabbits bounding out in front of me from grass verges and pheasants taking suicidal leaps from the walls surrounding Alnwick - now I've got armies of hairy caterpillars to avoid on the actual roads!!!! LOL

I'll make a few road signs tonight Harry....something like the ones they do for Red Squirrels and Toads crossing in the spring

BEWARE! Caterpillars Crossing!

Seriously though...thanks for that Harry - I'll keep my eyes peeled and see if I can find a few for myself to watch pupate and then emerge. Haven't collected caterpillars since I was a youngster! And Neil, believe it or not, has NEVER kept them or seen them become butterflies/moths....poor chap hasn't lived!!!

Are there any special requirements I should give them? I have a few of those small ( 20 x 13 x 13cm ) plastic tanks with lids you can buy to transport small pets in. They were on special offer last year in the Pound Shop so I bought six of them...they've been invaluable for putting the Wood Mice in that I've been catching all winter until I can evict them in the woods or miles away down the hill! Will they be any good with soil/compost in the bottom or will they be too small? GILL

Hello Gill,
Those boxes would be ideal, just line them with a piece of paper kitchen towel, to absorb any moisture, and introduce the larvae. Two or three bramble or a Dock leaf or two will provide food for any of the Tiger moth larva, if they aren't quite fully fed. They will all pupate soon. Just keep them out of direct sunlight, in a cool place and they will soon pupate. There is no need to provide a pupating medium, they will happily 'spin up' in a corner. They don't bury themselves in the soil like many moth species do. Enjoy.

One of the Garden Tiger moth larva I picked up this afternoon has already started to spin a cocoon.

Harry

Edit,

There is no need to provide any pupating medium for any of the Tiger Moth family, they all pupate in cocoon above ground. They will probably spin up in a corner of one of your boxes.

helenol · May 19, 2005

Harry, excuse my ignorance, but how on earth is one to spot a moth whilst driving down the road? Do you mean they are actually on the road?

As Gill says, it's bad enough already for me, looking out for the muntjac deer (I almost knocked the young one down last week, fortunately I wasn't going fast so managed to put the brakes on, with no-one behind me), rabbits, low flying blackbirds, pheasants etc.

Speaking of which...went to my local petshop the other day, the guy says to me "I've got a present for you". "Oh good, what is it, a dead animal?". Meanwhile the other customer looked at me as though I'd lost the plot!

Turned out it was a cute little fluffy baby rabbit, in a supermarket carrier bag! I duly took it home for the kites!

Angus T · May 19, 2005

harry eales said:
Heads up everyone, especially those of you who drive along country roads or lanes.

2 Garden Tiger Moth and 4 Buff Ermine/White Ermine larvae. They are all now in breeding cages.

Harry.

Harry,
I thought that these ermine overwinter as pupa. They are starting to emerge as adults now.

See plenty of them in Autumn on their wanderings.

harry eales · May 19, 2005

helenol said:
Harry, excuse my ignorance, but how on earth is one to spot a moth whilst driving down the road? Do you mean they are actually on the road?

As Gill says, it's bad enough already for me, looking out for the muntjac deer (I almost knocked the young one down last week, fortunately I wasn't going fast so managed to put the brakes on, with no-one behind me), rabbits, low flying blackbirds, pheasants etc.

Speaking of which...went to my local petshop the other day, the guy says to me "I've got a present for you". "Oh good, what is it, a dead animal?". Meanwhile the other customer looked at me as though I'd lost the plot!

Turned out it was a cute little fluffy baby rabbit, in a supermarket carrier bag! I duly took it home for the kites!

Hello Helen,

It's something I have been doing for more decades than I care to remember, I must admit I do have very good eyesight (well, over the first 18" or so) but in all honesty, it is really possible to spot a furry moth larvae when you are driving at 40 mph, when it is crossing the road in front of you.

I have surprised many a naturalist companion by doing so. As I said in my original post, it's a matter of 'getting your eye in'. The Tiger Moth family larvae tend to be rapid movers and thus attract the eye to them. All you have to do is look at the road in front of you. It's a good way of avoiding hitting things a little larger as well, like other vehicles. lol. This 'mad caterpiller' stage or period, only lasts for a month or so. Try looking, you may be amazed at what you see.

Harry

Dimitris · May 19, 2005

helenol said:
Speaking of which...went to my local petshop the other day, the guy says to me "I've got a present for you". "Oh good, what is it, a dead animal?". Meanwhile the other customer looked at me as though I'd lost the plot!

Turned out it was a cute little fluffy baby rabbit, in a supermarket carrier bag! I duly took it home for the kites!

LMAO H!!!

harry eales · May 19, 2005

Angus T said:
Harry,
I thought that these ermine overwinter as pupa. They are starting to emerge as adults now.

See plenty of them in Autumn on their wanderings.

Hello Angus,

I have several dozen pupae of White Ermine which have overwintered and which have already hatched, (from early March), and a few dozen others, which have yet to hatch. This species seems to be almost continually brooded, (depending upon where you live.) Certainly there are two, if not three, broods a year in my locality. I have found the peak for White Ermine larva crossing roads to be from Mid May until mid June, with a smaller peak in August/September.

There are very few months between March and October when I don't get
White Ermine's in my Moth Trap.

I'm glad I'm not the only one, to see them crossing roads.

Harry.

Gill Osborne · May 19, 2005

That's probably it Harry...getting one's eye in! I used to amaze Neil when he first started going out with me as we'd be out walking and I'd suddenly stop and backtrack to a shrub and there would be some sort of bug or caterpillar under a leaf - used to always amaze him HOW I could see them. But I suppose once you know the right sort of habitat etc things just become clear as day!
Did the same thing at St Mary's Lighthouse a couple of years ago with a photographer we were talking to - a Pied Wagtail flew overhead,calling as it went, and I automatically said ''Pied Wagtail'' - as you do! This guy was gobsmacked....wanted to know HOW I'd known it was a pied wag! But it's just experience andknowledge picked up over the years isn't it!
I know a few species of butterfly (or can get them down to their respective families) by the way they fly....it's just practice!

I've told Neil to keep an eye open for them too and I've put one of the plastic tanks in his car so he's got NO excuse for not bringing stuff home for me! I may even tell him to keep an eye open on the site he's working at...he's doing 15-hour shifts so looking for caterpillars for me will help the time go over quicker! See what a good considerate wife I am!

I hope I can find some.....believe it or not, the ONLY Tiger Moth I've seen was a dead one many years ago in the seventies when I lived in Wallsend!!! Seen loads of the caterpillars marching around but never an adult moth! :eek!: What a rubbish naturalist I must be!!!

GILL

harry eales · May 19, 2005

Gill Osborne said:
That's probably it Harry...getting one's eye in! I used to amaze Neil when he first started going out with me as we'd be out walking and I'd suddenly stop and backtrack to a shrub and there would be some sort of bug or caterpillar under a leaf - used to always amaze him HOW I could see them. But I suppose once you know the right sort of habitat etc things just become clear as day!
Did the same thing at St Mary's Lighthouse a couple of years ago with a photographer we were talking to - a Pied Wagtail flew overhead,calling as it went, and I automatically said ''Pied Wagtail'' - as you do! This guy was gobsmacked....wanted to know HOW I'd known it was a pied wag! But it's just experience andknowledge picked up over the years isn't it!
I know a few species of butterfly (or can get them down to their respective families) by the way they fly....it's just practice!

I've told Neil to keep an eye open for them too and I've put one of the plastic tanks in his car so he's got NO excuse for not bringing stuff home for me! I may even tell him to keep an eye open on the site he's working at...he's doing 15-hour shifts so looking for caterpillars for me will help the time go over quicker! See what a good considerate wife I am!

I hope I can find some.....believe it or not, the ONLY Tiger Moth I've seen was a dead one many years ago in the seventies when I lived in Wallsend!!! Seen loads of the caterpillars marching around but never an adult moth! :eek!: What a rubbish naturalist I must be!!!

GILL

Hello Gill,

Garden Tiger Moths seldom fly until after midnight and I must admit I've never had many in my MV trap. I have 'assembled' males to 'virgin' bred females. If you want to find larva, locally to you, just have a trip to Holy Island and look over 'The Snook'. There, you will find hundreds of Garden Tiger caterpillars right now, It's the best place in all of Northumberland to find them.

Adult Garden Tigers, I occasionally find around my village, mainly at rest during the day, and they are very easily seen. Holy Island is a terrific place for entomologising. If your there in June/July keep your eyes open for the yellow variant of the 6 Spot Burnet Moth (ab. Flava) it is common in some years. Holy Island is a fantastic place for seeing Butterflies such as Dark Green Fritillary and many Moth species, either by day or night, as is the nearby Ross Links. Many nocturnal moth species, can be found feeding by day on Ragwort or Thistle on these sites.

Harry

helenol · May 19, 2005

I wonder whether we'll have the "count the splattered insects on the windscreen" project again this year?

snapper · May 19, 2005

helenol said:
I wonder whether we'll have the "count the splattered insects on the windscreen" project again this year?

Just count the number of pied wagtails picking them off.

harry eales · May 19, 2005

helenol said:
I wonder whether we'll have the "count the splattered insects on the windscreen" project again this year?

Hello Helen,
At the speeds I tend to drive at, there are 'splats' but little else to ID them. lol

Harry

AndrewParker · May 19, 2005

harry eales said:
Hello Gill,

Garden Tiger Moths seldom fly until after midnight and I must admit I've never had many in my MV trap. I have 'assembled' males to 'virgin' bred females. If you want to find larva, locally to you, just have a trip to Holy Island and look over 'The Snook'. There, you will find hundreds of Garden Tiger caterpillars right now, It's the best place in all of Northumberland to find them.

Harry

We used to catch reasonable numbers of garden tigers in the MV trap back in the 70's, but my father tells me they are much rarer now (102 in 1976, less than 20 last year and that with the trap operated more nights).

There is a project running at the moment to study the population biology of the garden tiger by molecular means. I don't have the details to hand, but a PhD student is asking for single legs from garden tigers for DNA analysis. If anyone would be interested to help send me a PM and I will get the details.

Andrew.

Angus T · May 19, 2005

harry eales said:
Hello Angus,

I have several dozen pupae of White Ermine which have overwintered and which have already hatched, (from early March), and a few dozen others, which have yet to hatch. This species seems to be almost continually brooded, (depending upon where you live.) Certainly there are two, if not three, broods a year in my locality. I have found the peak for White Ermine larva crossing roads to be from Mid May until mid June, with a smaller peak in August/September.

There are very few months between March and October when I don't get
White Ermine's in my Moth Trap.

I'm glad I'm not the only one, to see them crossing roads.

Harry.

Harry,

Flight season for White Ermine in my area is early May till late July, with some records just into August. Buff ermine typically starts couple weeks later and ends earlier.

The only time I see larvae is early Autumn, and that would be loads.

Wandered Scot · May 20, 2005

Now this is a thread, and it all comes down to optimun speed in the end. Slow enough to spot the larva, fast enough to get the fluffys(polly bags at the ready for Helen), award yourself +10Points if it is a Grey squirrel, +20 if you do it in reverse, has to be witnessed before it counts though (can be done, I was there!) slow enough not to splat the moths, so that has to be under 50mph providing they are not coming at you. Tricky, but should be more fun than sitting in the pub.

Cheers

Jim

Gill Osborne · May 20, 2005

Sounds truly amazing on Holy Island.....need to rob a bank as there's a cottage for sale over there (about two hundred grand LOL Just a tad more than my savings!

I could probably afford a brick!!!)
Mind you, I only live a few miles away from the place so can visit whenever I want really :bounce:

Have to get myself over at some point.....look at Neil's rota and work out when he's doing a full day shift so I can have a good 12-hours scive!

GILL

RichardH_Temp · May 20, 2005

Tiger Spines

Good advice H. I was thinking of going Garden Tiger larva hunting down a country path near my house - its full of nettles and I dare say some kind of Dock leaves. After looking at the beast in Waring i'm not sure I want to now; can the spines give you any kind of sting? Cheers.

harry eales · May 20, 2005

RichardH_Temp said:
Good advice H. I was thinking of going Garden Tiger larva hunting down a country path near my house - its full of nettles and I dare say some kind of Dock leaves. After looking at the beast in Waring i'm not sure I want to now; can the spines give you any kind of sting? Cheers.

Hello Richard,

The hairs on many lepidopterous caterpillers can effect some people with sensetive skins. These are usually known as 'Urticating Hairs' in that they produce a stinging sensation like that of the Stinging Nettle Urticae sp.

Most of the Tiger Moths family, the Eggar Moths family and the White and Brown tail moths are perhaps the worst offenders. If you are allergic to these hairs, just wear a pair of surgical gloves or borrow your wifes 'Marigold' washing up gloves, when handling these larva, but make sure you wash any hairs off them before putting them back, or she may be having more than a gentle word in your ear. :news:

Not everyone is effected, many people seem to have a natural immunity to them. You will soon find out if you are allergic. The effects last for two or three days before they disappear.

Personally I'm never bothered by them, which perhaps is fortunate, as I regularly breed large numbers of Tiger Moth and Eggar species.

Harry

RichardH_Temp · May 20, 2005

Tiger Hunting

Well, I donned my walking boots and set out with an empty tupperwear box. I have since returned, with an empty tupperwear box. I found plenty of nettles and docks, just no larva. Many of the nettles had obviously made a tasty snack for something but there were quite a few snails around. Are there any tell-tail signs of larva presence? Maybe the recent rain had scared the larva away somewhere.

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