The life of a local

Some people live their lives and die having never left the area in which they were born. The same happens for some fauna.

The Lithosiini are a tribe of moths characterised by caterpillars that live on lichen and algae. They are also characterised by caterpillars that are decidedly hairy. Yesterday I came across one of them, a Clouded Footman (Anestia ombrophanes) caterpillar, pictured left, grazing on a lichen covered fence post.

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Before pupation the caterpillar constructs a loosely woven cocoon out of silk and its own body hair, pictured right and then pupates in this open weave structure.

The female Clouded Footman moth is wingless and flightless. Upon emerging from her cocoon she is mated with by the male and lays eggs on the cocoon from which she has emerged, pictured below.

A life spent probably on the same post.