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Caterpillar Eats Cuckoo!

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Is there a caterpillar eating a cuckoo in your garden?

Orange tip butterflies emerge from hibernation in April, and their larvae feed on the stems of the cuckoo flower.

The butterflies spent the winter months as a chrysalis, hidden among last years vegetation.  Once they're on the wing they start feeding on nectar and looking for a mate.

You might notice the female of this species dipping on and off the stems of the Cuckoo Flower as she lays a single egg on each one.  She looks a bit like a cabbage white butterfly, but there are no cabbages around at this time of year so there's not likely to be any confusion.  The male is unmistakable with his bright orange wing tips.

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