Tufty

Such was his disguise that one would have easily missed him sitting on the brick wall. He had obviously got inside last night and found a quiet place to sleep today - well that was until I started wielding the camera in his direction!

This primitive Orange Swift Moth is remarkable in that he has no mouth parts therefore no proboscis, so cannot feed as an adult. Survival depends on the fat stored when he was a caterpillar probably accounting for the fact he lives just a month - such a short time!
However, no friend of the gardener the caterpillar eats the roots of small plants and grasses after hatching from larvae that live underground.

Looking closely at the picture I wonder if he has something amiss with the back of his neck - from another angle there is a bit of a sore red patch and the furry bit seems to have come away a bit which gives him a slight tufty appearance!!

Freddy Fox hit the spotlight page today and I must thank everyone for the amazing response and kind words!!