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jdc562 wrote:
With those bright yellow stripes, does this one taste bad or sting with those little hairs? I have to say, the moth name alone lured me into opening this post, and when I did I was rewarded with these nice images.
---John
Thanks, John.
As far as I know, only caterpillars with dense, long hairs are a hazard to us.
Caterpillars which are distasteful to predators ingest toxins from there food plant. In this case, Toadflax has an acrid sap distasteful to cattle so it may have the same effect on birds. The Cabbage White butterflies have a similar colour and pattern and seem largely to survive uneaten but brassicas are not toxic.
Surprisingly, even though I know they are on the plants, it is difficult to locate them when they lie along the stem. So the pattern may disguise the outline to some extent. The larval appearance plays no part in courtship so it must be important in survival.
Harold
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