The Silk Hanger

A caterpillar hanging on to dear live is photographed at about a meter  from the ground.
Pix 1

Clinging on the string the caterpillar wriggled its way up its  fine silk girdle that was  stretched from a leaf above.
Pix 2

It inches its way slowly for about less than 20 minutes to reach a leaf from which the silk girdle is attached.
Pix 3

Higher and higher it went.  The whole episode of climbing up a length  of about 3 meters of the silk girdle string  took about less than 20 minutes.
Pix 4 

The caterpillar successfully reached the leaf from where it fell.
Pix 5

This is a story about a caterpillar that fell from a leaf and somehow managed to suspend itself in mid air.  The length of the fine silk string was about 3 meters and the caterpillar (larva) had no choice but to keep on climbing the string to save its dear life.  The pictures beginning from the top above depicts its movement up the string from about a meter above the ground to about 3 meters high from which its silk girdle is attached.  The whole climbing episode took less than 20 minutes.

Photoshoot session with Miss Caterpillar

 On location shooting: Zone B
Model : Caterpillar
Camera: Nikon D5100

Highlights today at the park - 15 May

A caterpillar at its host plant - Pawas (Litsea cubeba)

 A beautiful caterpillar is seen eating away the leaf blades of its host plant, the 'Pawas' tree.  I love to eat the young leaves of the Pawas raw or  better still to consume  them with a pinch of the ever popular Bintulu 'belacan' or shrimp paste.  I have let many Pawas trees grow wild at the Botanic Island Two in order to preserve them for salad purposes.  The Pawas is known botanically as Litsea cubeba  and its the young leaves that are consumed as salad.  It is good cure for stomach ache. One of the treasures of Botanic Island Two are the many lianas or climbers that look more like Tarzan ropes.  These too are preserved well for posterity.  At this vegetation island I saw a jungle tree in full flower, in creamy white colours - a sight to behold.  

Lianas at Botanic Island Two

Jungle tree in full flower
Location : Botanic Island Two

Macro photography at the park

 I am not particularly a caterpillar hunter, though I love to photograph butterflies.  While doing some bush clearing work this afternoon I was attracted to a strong red and white colour on a long tiny branch.  On closer examination I found it to be a bundle of caterpillars.  Very interesting indeed to see so many of them cuddling each other.  Their black hairs look like menacing thorns. A  white band makes striking contrast to the red body.