Vapourer

I was harvesting apples and blackberries fro the orchard at Dancersend Nature Reserve and spotted lots of nice insects, including this caterpillar of a Vapourer moth. It is one of a group of moths known as 'tussocks' from the toothbrush-style tufts of hairs on the caterpillars. This species is quite striking with its rows of red spots and tufts of long, black plumed hairs at both ends of the body. The ones either side of the head (see extra photo) were waving from side to side as it chomped its way through this apple tree foliage.