CAN YOU SEE ME ?............ WELL LEAVE ME ALONE !!!!
This is a Cinnabar Moth caterpillar, unlike a lot of caterpillars, which are green or brown and hide away trying to evade being eaten, this is strikingly bright. It also sits right out in the open, sometimes vast numbers plainly visible on its food plant, yet's it quite safe.
It's food plant is a fairly toxic Ragwort, and as it eats the plant, it absorbs the poisons into it's body, and safely stores them, any bird or animal foolish enough to ignore the Hazchem style colouring, won't do it again.
This protection continues in the adult Moth too, which is a beautiful bright red and black colour.
