The bright green of this moth larva caught my eye as I walked past. Investigation shows that it's the larva of the Common Marbled Carpet - a handsome moth that I've shown before.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1NLJY1QRMrQ7_IqN1CQyq0RJ8BWxkIxm0z8LKvujAPJbbmineLsUNr9lxb2DYSQoGqcr_XN9WWVZhTWXD1rZuIaoUaCMxbkeOyZbfGbFRISTsWDuUWbE1j4gdcIsOmpBx5Ow6auX9kHI/s400/marbled-larva.jpg)
Detail of the head end shows that the front legs are all condensed into one group, and that it has five ocelli or sub-eyes.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM2Ycml_EZSpRz5rZNlzdvasmPlF8BVYR4Tl3Mc8z52QHjrDeGo4PiNHOjYzdwEfX6FHaBE3OK6_2G2XubBhi1yk6V3sdTG_dEGgTno1ak-mpLnxzUY7eEszBj8hRby0NVlS72biU-p-Q/s400/marbled-head.jpg)
These are the ripening capsules of the moss
Bryum capillare:
2 comments:
What a shot! Given that I guess the whole thing is only an inch or so long at best. How far away/what lens? Tripod or are you just very, very good at holding still? Impressed!
Do all catties have ocelli?
>How far away/what lens?
Lens is the Canon 60 mm dedicated macro lens, effective 96mm, due to small sensor multiplication factor. I'd say I was about maybe 3" away.
>Tripod or are you just very, very good at holding still?
Hand-held, shooting at exposure priority of 1/160th to avoid handshake. This usually results in wide open aperture in our light, even at ISO 400, so DOF is around 1mm.
>Do all catties have ocelli?
I've seen various Pug moth larvae with 5 dark ones, and many Sawfly larvae have a single. Many don't have obvious ones, but they might just be the same colour as the rest of the head/eye, so not as obvious.
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