The Very Hungry Caterpillars

I needn't have worried that the caterpillars would have been washed away in the rain as there are literally millions of them in the hedgerows near the little bridge behind the zoo.  A close up of what is contained in these webs is added as an extra.

Apparently the approach is a successful evolutionary strategy for the small ermine moth providing protection from predators through safety in numbers. However, numbers are hard to hide, hence the production of the silken webbing.  More information here.


The next stage is apparently stripping the hedgerow of leaves completely!  


It's all good though, the caterpillar is harmless, the hedgerows recover and in the meantime there are lots of juicy caterpillars for the birds to eat.