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Original poster

What little beasts are about to be spawned from this?

18 replies

WineWithAView · 31/08/2023 21:15

This caterpillar set up camp on my door frame. Chrysalis/cocoon type thing appeared and seemed fairly normal in my limited experience of caterpillars/butterflies.

But what are all these little white things that have appeared? Eggs of some kind?

If so, what on earth is going to come out of them all?!

OP posts:
Nothingbuttheglory · 31/08/2023 21:17

OP. I am going to try to sleep shortly!

Not a clue. Could something else have laid eggs on the chrysalis?

catsnhats11 · 31/08/2023 21:17

No idea but I'm intrigued!

Sierra26 · 31/08/2023 21:18

No idea but I’m here to find out…

CrazyCatLady13 · 31/08/2023 21:18

It's a vapourer moth. The female doesn't get wings & just hangs around waiting for a male. They're definitely eggs so you'll have more of them 😊

gettingolderbutcooler · 31/08/2023 21:18

Yuk- maybe something has parasitised it 🤢 and the eggs are feeding off its body, slurping its insides to fill their little parasitic tummies.

Lbym197 · 31/08/2023 21:22

Here for the education 😄

MMorales · 31/08/2023 21:24

Keep us updated

Original poster
WineWithAView · 31/08/2023 21:26

I'm so sorry Nothingbuttheglory! I've also put myself off sleep with my brain now thinking it's something hideous.

Funnily enough, I took that photo over 24 hours ago and wasn't worried but then suddenly became worried about it about ten minutes ago... 😬

OP posts:
BotterMon · 31/08/2023 21:27

Vapourer moth also known as rusty tussock moth, are sexually dimorphic (males and females are different in appearance as adults). The males have plain orange-brown wings (wingspan 25-30mm) with a white spot near the trailing edge of the forewing, whilst the females have an enlarged light grey-brown body with greatly reduced wings and are unable to fly. Males are attracted to the female by a scent that she emits (sex pheromone). After mating, the female deposits her eggs over the surface of the pupal cocoon. These eggs will overwinter and hatch during the following spring.

It is the caterpillars that are particularly eye-catching and it is this stage that is most often noticed in gardens. The caterpillars are predominantly grey-black with small red spots running in rows down both sides of the body; the most easily recognisable features are the four yellow tufts of hair-like setae found towards the head end.

SirVixofVixHall · 31/08/2023 21:28

It looks like something has laid eggs on the case. The case looks empty though, not like a Chrysalis , just hairs and some skin.

Original poster
WineWithAView · 31/08/2023 21:29

CrazyCatLady13 · 31/08/2023 21:18

It's a vapourer moth. The female doesn't get wings & just hangs around waiting for a male. They're definitely eggs so you'll have more of them 😊

Ah now, when you say I'll have more of them, do you mean more of the magnificent caterpillar? That I can deal with. But had just started thinking along parasitic-maggot-type lines which is a whole lot less desirable...

OP posts:
Scottishskifun · 31/08/2023 21:29

Don't touch the caterpillars their little spines/bristles can cause irritation.

RocketIceLollie · 31/08/2023 21:30

I wouldn't wait to find out personally. I'd wipe it off with loo paper and flush down the loo personally.

Original poster
WineWithAView · 31/08/2023 21:33

BotterMon · 31/08/2023 21:27

Vapourer moth also known as rusty tussock moth, are sexually dimorphic (males and females are different in appearance as adults). The males have plain orange-brown wings (wingspan 25-30mm) with a white spot near the trailing edge of the forewing, whilst the females have an enlarged light grey-brown body with greatly reduced wings and are unable to fly. Males are attracted to the female by a scent that she emits (sex pheromone). After mating, the female deposits her eggs over the surface of the pupal cocoon. These eggs will overwinter and hatch during the following spring.

It is the caterpillars that are particularly eye-catching and it is this stage that is most often noticed in gardens. The caterpillars are predominantly grey-black with small red spots running in rows down both sides of the body; the most easily recognisable features are the four yellow tufts of hair-like setae found towards the head end.

Fascinating! Thanks BotterMon.

So they'll stay there until next spring? Will they be ok on the door frame?! Me and DS thought all our door slamming had killed off the caterpillar/chrysalis/whatever the correct terminology is for that stage of it.

OP posts:
Original poster
WineWithAView · 31/08/2023 21:35

gettingolderbutcooler · 31/08/2023 21:18

Yuk- maybe something has parasitised it 🤢 and the eggs are feeding off its body, slurping its insides to fill their little parasitic tummies.

Was beginning to think this too. I like the baby caterpillar version much better!

OP posts:
Original poster
WineWithAView · 31/08/2023 21:39

RocketIceLollie · 31/08/2023 21:30

I wouldn't wait to find out personally. I'd wipe it off with loo paper and flush down the loo personally.

Ooh no, I couldn't flush it down the toilet. I'd be worried whatever it was would then come back up the through the drains and crawl out of the toilet bowl. In their millions.

I was ready to go out and deal with it now though, if it turned out to be a nasty. I was thinking bin and bleach...?No clue really!

OP posts:
RocketIceLollie · 31/08/2023 21:53

Less chance of millions of whatever they are climbing back out the loo than climbing out the bin

MMorales · 06/09/2023 13:28

Has it changed?

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