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User / Rana Pipiens / Ends. Caterpillar of Water Betony Moth, Cucullia scrophulariae, on Scrophularia nodosa, Common Figwort, Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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You're more likely in your garden to see these beautifully marked Caterpillars than the Flying Form of Water Betony Moth, which is kind of drab albeit intricate, and moreover flits at night. And Caterpillar's life is much longer, too. It forages about on favorite plants like this Figwort for a month or so, and in Pupal State Betony lives in the ground up to five years before emerging to take flight.
Caterpillar can be quite a pest, stripping plants bare to sate its voracious appetite. See its mandibles in the upper right inset. The lower left one shows the pair of so-called anal prolegs or claspers which are used to move along plant stems. Between them is the anal plate.
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Dates
  • Taken: Jun 12, 2019
  • Uploaded: Jun 12, 2019
  • Updated: Dec 7, 2020