Wormwood pug larvae
28th September 2005, WednesdayThe picture below shows a nearly full-grown caterpillar of a wormwood pug moth, Eupithecia absinthiata among ragwort flowers. The current purge of ragwort must be having a serious effect on this and many other invertebrates that use the plant. At least the wormwood pug has alternative foodplants (such as wormwood and mugwort).
It is interesting how the pattern on the caterpillar resembles the dark markings around the ragwort bud, providing a very efficient camouflage, though this won’t help much if its foodplant is pulled up and burnt.
