Pallid cuckoo food

["Alberta Hayes" <>]

Hello all,

I don't know much about the Pallid Cuckoo but I do know a little about these caterpillars.

The hole that you can see in Martin's picture has actually been dug by the caterpillar. They dig the hole to pupate. It's quite fun to watch them as they take little bits of dirt out in their mouths and then put it away from their holes. You can see this in the second of Martin's pictures at the top left. After digging the hole so that they can fit into it ( they first fatten up on clover which is why you only see the bigger ones doing this ) they then back themselves into it and close the hole with silk ( I think ) and dirt. I believe they turn into the white butterflies you see in fields ( cabbage moth maybe? ) .

Alberta Hayes  Monash .

 

On 9/6/07, martin butterfield <> wrote:

Following my post last week about a pallid cuckoo feeding on caterpillars a few people commented on the type of caterillar involved.  This morning I came across some of them and was able to get a couple of images (see attached).  Hopefully they will enable a positive ID of the hairy beasts.   I would estimate they were closer to 5cm in length rather than 3cm.  I didn't actually see one emerge from the hole but it seems likely.

 

Martin

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