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Drinker caterpillar

 

The snow cover and temperatures around zero brought the first opportunity to see the little creatures that are busy on snow. There were tens of drinker (Euthrix potatoria) caterpillars on the snow near Kärevere. I can’t even remember them showing up in such numbers.

 

As a little surprise some ruby tiger caterpillars (Phragmatobia fuliginosa) also crawled on the snowflakes. Possibly they too try to find a wintering place somewhere in the snow layer. In addition to these moths I also found a female northern winter moth  (Operophtera fagata), and several tiny young spiders.

 

Some soldier beetle (Cantharis fusca) larvae crawled on the birch trunks too. It seems that we may have an interesting and varied insect winter.

 

Female northern winter moth