Admirable Caterpillar

I was searching a clump of stinging nettle for praying mantis nymphs when I came across this yellow admiral caterpillar. The nettles were showing signs of being eaten, but the caterpillars are usually nocturnal. I’d tried spotting them at night, but our nights are so short at present that I couldn’t go out late or early enough. The caterpillars are as prickly as the nettles.

I found 5 mantis nymphs on the nettle before seeing the caterpillar, but obviously there were more. When I looked at the caterpillar photo on my computer screen I saw another just out a little to the right from the caterpillar’s tail. Can you spot it? Of course it is well out of focus.

Poppy of the day in Extras.