Follow my leader

Just the picture for National Insect Week. Finding these tiny caterpillars would have been delightful...if they hadn't been munching their way through the leaves of my favourite climbing rose! They are early stage larvae of one of the Rose Sawflies, similar to some moth or butterfly caterpillars, but with more developed prolegs. I already have similar, larger ones munching through my Solomon's-seal plants and, given the wonderful insect weather recently, there are no doubt other species attacking other plants in the garden. Although I'm an insect lover I will hose most of them off, but I will leave a few to mature. Almost every living thing is entitled to a niche in my garden as long as it doesn't completely abuse my hospitality.