Stinky & Slinky…
(A Green Shield bug & a Mullein moth caterpillar in the garden, 15th-16th June 2023…)
Shifting it from clothing to my hand,
The bug was placed upon a Himalayan balsam leaf
Where it remained basking,
Stamped like a small green shield
As it sucked at sap.
And I was not obliged to fall foul
Of its pungent odour, emitted
Usually when it has been disturbed…
Tarrying with vivid colours the Mullein spanned
An already shredded buddleia leaf,
Where it quivered, risking
Being taken as prey, yet not at all concealed.
Defoliating the plant, its energy wasn’t sapped
As its leafy platform shrank beneath it from whole.
Yet it wasn’t predated
And at my presence it remained unperturbed…
Pete Ray
16th June 2023…
Two small creatures captured my attention in the back garden…
The Green Shield bug looks like a smart character and can issue an unpleasant small when troubled.
The Mullein moth caterpillar had been eating the buddleia leaf it had been stretched out upon all day (June 16th) but when fully grown it will pupate in soil to form a strong cocoon and apparently it may not emerge as a moth for some years…
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