Mark HExcited to see raspberries starting to ripen in the garden this morning and several lackey moth caterpillars are nibbling on the leaves too so everybody's happy.
#Photography #Gardening #Nature #Raspberries #Caterpillar #Moth #Garden
Richard "mtfnpy" Harman (he/him)@neonbubble ooh, today I learned those caterpillars are similar to an invasive species here in Virginia, the Spongy Moth! The Lackey Moth caterpillar has one bonus though, they have irritating spines on their body. Both spin big white nest webs!
Lackey moth caterpillars seem to be fairly benign, not causing lasting damage to the leaves they favour. We have a very much live-and-let-live attitude towards wildlife in the garden anyway but it's nice to know that these ones can be left to enjoy themselves on our plants and serve the wider biodiversity.
@neonbubble yeah the Spongy Moth are _very much_ a pest that strip bare *all* the foliage off trees and kill trees around here :(