CM Simpson: Writer & Gamer

I still have to get the knack of taking photographs in low light. This s the only semi-decent shot of a little white moth I saw at dusk one evening in late November.

Every Australian summer, you hear them - singing in the trees. Sometimes, on a fine hot day, you'll walk through the shade of a gumtree grove and be showered in a spray of fine droplets. Looking up, you won't see a single cloud - you have just been peed on by the very songsters chirping all around, and above you. I am hoping to get a picture of one of the bigger ones, but this little fellow sang most enticingly in the back yard and I had to hunt him down. I finally found him on a tall branch of flotinnia. But he wasn't very cooperative and kept shifting around the branch. Every time, I moved, he moved, too. Finally flying to another branch... ... and shifting around on that, until flying from sight. Disappointed, I was about to head inside, when I heard another one, and found it sitting in a plum tree. It was much more cooperative.

So, this little guy nearly bought it when I caught it eating the still-forming buds on my Robyn grevillea, but then I thought I might like to see which particular butterfly was responsible, so I took some pictures and decided to keep an eye on it, so I knew when it pupated. The first shot - caterpillar happily nibbling on flower buds:  Yup - definitely nibbling: And here's another view. Note the little yellow lumps near its back end. Same day, but it was one of those cloudy days with variegated light. And it kept nibbling for quite some time: Stretching out to get the more tasty tidbits, and using its hind feet to keep a firm grip on the branch. Eventually it looped back on itself... ...and headed into denser foliage. It didn't always move in a straight line... How come caterpillars have more feet than butterflies? Eventually, it got into some much thicker growth (well, for a young grevillea, anyway), meaning it was somewhat prot...

So, sometimes insects get inside and get stuck behind the glass and get a bit poorly. Most don't survive, but this one is one we were able to take outside in time. Clear plastic containers are a must, and you never put hand over the base, but always on the edges. Most insects (and spiders) are used to looking out for predators from above. Having a hand on the base of your clear, plastic containers kinda defeats the purpose. He was much happier once we got him outside. I'm not sure what he'd doing here - hunting? eating? Whatever it is, it kept him busy for ages.