Topic: whats this bug?

[ruffmeister]

Hi there we have found the following bug growing on our sweedes anyone know what one it is at all.

Click here to see our Strange Bugs

Cheers there

[Fork]

They look awfully like Cinnabar Caterpillars to me.

[Trixiebelle]

Cinnabar caterpillars! I agree with Fork!

"Cinnebar caterpillars are considered beneficial because the feed on Ragwort, a wildflower that is toxic to livestock. Cinnebar catepillars are often introduced into Ragwort infested areas as a plant control strategy"

Source: http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://greennature.com/gallery/pictures-of-insects/caterpillar3.jpg&imgrefurl=http://greennature.com/gallery/pictures-of-insects/caterpillar3.html&h=386&w=375&sz=21&hl=en&start=1&tbnid=0f4jW-cRVzRBgM:&tbnh=123&tbnw=119&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcinnebar%2Bcaterpillars%26gbv%3D2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG

I used to work on my cousin's dairy farm when I was about 5-10yrs old. My main job whilst we were staying there was 'ragwort duty': Digging up all the ragwort in the cows' fields. I wish I'd had a bagfull of cinnebar moths whilst I was there!

Oh and a LOVELY memory! My cousin's farm had a really tame and lovely freesian cow called Fanny-Ann. When I went to her field to dig up the ragwort, we always had at least an hour of me riding on her back as she galloped around!

[Robert_Brenchley]

We used to get them all over the place round Oxford wirth all the ragwort there. These days I only see the odd one.

[Froglegs]

I get them on my allotment, and thanks Trixiebelle i know the black n red moth i sometime's see is there mummy or daddy.If the caterpillars is called Cinnabar what's the moth called?. ???

[redimp]

Cinnabar moth ::)

[tim]

Are they not the ones that cover & demolish Groundsel?

[Froglegs]

Yes Tim that's where i find them on my plot, they eat Groundsel then turn into ... :-[ Cinnabar moths.. :-[... :P. Well if ya don't ask ya don't known. ;)