Cinnabar Caterpillars on Groundsel at Warren Heath
© Alan Whitehead (view gallery)
Cinnabar Moths (Tyria jacobaeae) lay their eggs on Groundsel plants, which are toxic to most creatures other than themselves. When the eggs hatch the caterpillars feed on the pungent and toxic leaves, assimilating the poison to make themselves smell and taste bad. Any predator willing to ignore the warning colours and the bad smell and taste will die anyway from the toxicity. Isn't nature wonderful. Image cannot be loaded
Male Golden-ringed Dragonfly (Cordulegaster Boltonii) at Castle Bottom
© Alan Whitehead (view gallery)
At the back of Blackbushe Airport, near Yateley in northeast Hampshire is Castle Bottom nature reserve, which has a very particular type of stream. The water is acidic and yellowy-brown from the peat that it runs through and the stream is about 3 or 4 inches deep, with a very stony bottom. This specific set of requirements is the only environment that Britain's largest dragonfly (in fact our largest insect) will breed in. The female Golden-ringed has a set of addenda at the end of her abdomen, which she uses to push into the bottom of the river, so that she can lay her eggs under the stones, to prevent them from being washed downstream. Image cannot be loaded
A Slideshow of Yateley, in the county of Hampshire
