Each day I shoot more and more caterpillars; thats the way! I dont restrict myself to such point of view, but they come and come, and I dont object -- especially when there are some new species unknown to me, that I can educate myself of. But this is an old pal. I got acquainted with the goat moth (Cossus Cossus is the scientific name) like 18 years ago, during my 1st travel to the Ladoga skerries. Perhaps this is the fattest caterpillar I encountered, and it does have a fancy recognizable look, so... I remembered it.
Two years ago I encountered it again at my summer place. We have a lot of willow jungle here; willow wood is its favourite food, so there might be plenty of them around. But these creatures quite hideous and rarely get out until something bothered their hideout. Two neightbour's boys noticed this one when it was crossing the alley, so indeed something ight happen to his native tree. I suggested him a new one - put him to the old willow trump I have, and shoot the explorations process.
A fat caterpillar - a happy papillon!
The moth itself is big but it's rather nondescript — gray and spotted. Perfectly adapted for camouflage against tree bark. Needless to say, it's a nocturnal moth... anyway, I don't have a photo of an adult. But I hope this fat little thing hatches into a great moth!
Сам мотылек довольно невзрачен — серый и пятнистый — но отлично приспособлен для маскировки на фоне древесной коры. Надо ли упомянать что это ночная бабочка... в общем, фотографии взрослой особи у меня нет. Но я уверен, из этого толстяка вылупится отличный мотылек!
My post goes for Photofeed #macro photography contest, Round 180
| location: | Vyritza, Russia | July 2026 | natural light |
| camera/lens: | Canon 5dm3 | Sigma 150mm | raw-conv |
| t 1/320 | f/2.8 | ISO 640 |
