A swirling mass

Whilst at Goldlciff on Saturday morning near to one of the viewing platforms, I checked the mass of Nettle that grows alongside the platform as there are always Ladybird's and insects on and around the plants. Today I noticed several 10 spot Ladybirds, but some movement further back caught my eye. I noticed a moving mass of black wriggling around at the top of the Nettles, and when I looked closer I could see it was caterpillars.

I was impressed by the sheer number, and after consulting my books back home I was able to narrow them down to the caterpillars of the Peacock butterfly. These hairy black caterpillars are conspicuous on Nettle leaves, and as they grow older they become more orange. In the winter, the Peacocks hibernate in sheds and similar buildings, usually on the ceiling or in the corners, and may even come into houses. They can live for almost a year, from July until at least the following May. The eggs are laid in groups on the underside of the Nettle leaves, which would explain why I saw a mass of them actually on the tops of the leaves once they had emerged. Once the process is over and the caterpillars turn into butterflies - the Peacock reveals itself to be a beautiful little thing.

This is a picture of a Peacock butterfly I took last year, but it gives you an idea of the delicate wing markings. It has the largest 'false eyes' of any British butterfly. The four eyes on the wings make this species unmistakable. When resting only two are visible as the fore wings cover the hind wings as can be seen in my picture. The underside of the wings are almost entirely black. As the body warms, the lower wings will slowly spread downwards to reveal the characteristic shape we are all familiar with.  I wonder how many of these caterpillars will survive the attention of the local bird popualtion who at this time of year have hungry mouths to feed.

And the Ladybird looked to have at least ten spots from what I can see but was more than likely 12 in total. Never underestimate the importance of a bed of Stinging Nettles - ideal for wildlife.

All pictures copyright of N J Davies