After several weeks of frost and snow, and the
coldest December for 120 years, we venture in the devastated garden to get some fresh air. Despite the frost, while brushing the leaves from the path, we came across a lively and fat Angle Shades caterpillar (
Phlogophora meticulosa). Larvae of this common species of moth can be found all year round, while adults fly from May to October. Although, considered a pest in gardens due to the wide range of caterpillar feeding plants, the adults are large, handsome moths with unusual curled wings which make them look like a shriveled leaf, with neat brown and pink patterns. The larvae, which can be green or brown, are active during the winter, and hide under the leaf litter feeding on whatever green plants happen to be around. Come the end of March, they are ready to pupate and the fresh generation of moths will appear from mid April. In the summer, these local moths will be joined by migrant ones from the continent, as this species is also a common UK migrant.
Below there are a series of images illustrating the life cycle of this moth.
17/03/07. A large, drowsy caterpillar...
Falls on its back, and within 24 h...
it has pupated.
The pupa took half an hour to reach the deep brown colour from the photo above.
16/04/07. A freshly emerged Angle Shades dries up on Cytisus bloom.
16/05/08. An adult found in the house quenches its thirst on Iberis.
For more information on moths see
UK moths.
13 comments:
Hello, great post! How long would it take to emerge after it becomes a pupa?
Great photos
I have a good feeling of the angle Shades caterpillar cocoon,but it turned black. Is that normal?
Hi, I found one of these as a green caterpillar and have been feeding it various leaves for about 3 days. It only ate very little of certain types of leaves and has turned from green to yellow to black. It's still moving around a bit now that it's black but I wonder if it's dying or pupating? And if it's not dying, how long does it take to turn into a moth? thanks
Hi Chestbuster,
If it has pupated it will probably emerge in a few months. Put some leaf litter around it to keep it a bit sheltered and hopefully you will see the moth once it emerges
OK, thank you. I read somewhere that caterpillars need a branch or something to hang from when they pupate. It's a bit late for that, mine's just laying flat on the bottom of the jar. Hope that's OK
Chestbuster, many butterflies pupate high un on a branch, tying themselves with some silk, but many moths pupate on the soil.
I guess I will leave it alone, don't think it could attach itself to anything now.. It's all dark brown with some wing-like patterns on one end
Thanks so much for the tips, I was kind of worried I didn't take care if it properly
Thanks for the information.
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I have found an adult angle shades month in my kitchen. It's just January, can it live outside?
My Dad Found A Angel Shades Too it's So Little I Fed It some guava leaves but it didn't eat it
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