![\"Southern](\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/naturepl_01681231-360x240.jpg\" "\\"Southern")
<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>![\"View](\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/naturepl_01675766-360x240.jpg\" "\\"View")
<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>![\"Black-footed](\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/naturepl_01679320-360x240.jpg\" "\\"Black-footed")
<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>![\"Grey](\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/naturepl_01676543-360x240.jpg\" "\\"Grey")
<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>![\"Portrait](\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/naturepl_01682221-360x240.jpg\" "\\"Portrait")
<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>![\"Dalmatian](\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/naturepl_01679517-360x240.jpg\" "\\"Dalmatian")
<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>![\"Scarlet](\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/naturepl_01680271-360x240.jpg\" "\\"Scarlet")
<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>![\"Giant](\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/naturepl_01681715-360x240.jpg\" "\\"Giant")
<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>![\"Long-eared](\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/naturepl_01679565-360x240.jpg\" "\\"Long-eared")
<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\nKim Taylor – Very Hungry Caterpillars<\/h3>\n
The first sign that sawfly caterpillars were active on the willow tree was a series of small holes appearing in one of its leaves. Tiny caterpillars were nibbling at the edges of these holes and it seemed that a time lapse sequence of them eating their way through the leaf would be interesting.\u00a0\u00a0 However, the prospect of producing worthwhile time lapse under natural conditions was limited.\u00a0 Even a slight breeze would cause the tree to sway and the leaf to move and daylight would tend to overwhelm whatever artificial light was used to continue the sequence during the night. For these reasons, the willow branch on which the caterpillars were situated was brought into the studio where it was firmly mounted with its base in water. By this time, the small holes were visibly growing larger. With the camera taking a shot every two minutes, the leaf was beginning to look somewhat ragged after the first day. Then, unexpectedly, tiny holes began to appear in a part of the leaf as yet undamaged. Another batch of sawfly eggs, unnoticed on the underside of the leaf, had hatched and the minute caterpillars were beginning to feed. Unfortunately for them, their bigger cousins were demolishing the leaf at a far greater rate, and many were moving off to find other leaves higher up the branch. It is not clear what happened to the second batch of caterpillars as few made it to other leaves on the branch, which was returned to the tree a day later complete with the larger caterpillars.<\/p>\n