Lackey moth caterpillar, Malacosoma neustria
Lackey moth caterpillar, Malacosoma neustria (submitted by NaturePlus user eximius)
The lackey moth caterpillar has orange-yellow hairs and is striped with varying shades of blue, violet, red, orange, yellow, white and black.
These caterpillars are part of a rare group that live in a communal silk tent while they feed, and eventually leave the tent to pupate in the soil.
Lackey moth caterpillars can mostly be found in the south of Britain, and the moths begin to emerge during the summer.
