Some of you will have seen the caterpillar tents I posted on Tuesday. Well @helenmoss is a caterpillar genius (and has read the local paper!) and identified them as Bird Cherry Moth Ermine Caterpillars. I went back for another look today and the effect is weird - I saw an internet photo of a bicycle sheathed in this web but nobody had thought to prop one against a tree for me!
Bottom left is a Bird Cherry in all its glory last month - some of them are stripped almost bare now.
Those webs make me think of the X-Files. Creepy... But thank you for sharing this amazing piece of nature! I'm surprised I hadn't noticed them at all...
oh wow...i can handle one or two, but when i seen an invasion of anything it creeps me out. we went to a garden shop and there was an inside area with like 200 or 400 fountains...when i first walked in i was so restful and at peace with the sound...and after like 10 minutes i almost had a panic attack. i told my husband that i had to leave immediately. not sure why your photo reminded me of that...
There was a report on BBC news a couple of days ago & they are inundated in Yorkshire , dropping off the trees covering fences ..so bad the kids can't play in the playground ! All the cherry trees have no leaves but as soon as they are hatched they will be butterflies & things back to normal !!! Good picture though !
really cool shots - when I went for my walk and run in Runswick Ba last week - we got COVERED in caterpillars of all kinds - I've never seen so many - I've never seen them like this all over the trees either - maybe it's all the warm weather -perfect for them?
Oh my gosh ~ they've totally invaded! It's really frustrating how they can defoliate a tree in no time. Seems like the birds would be feasting on these. Very interesting shots, Judith ~ you could be a science photo-journalist. :)
