Cinnabar moth caterpillar plague

Every time I pick up the camera and go out I hope to find something I haven't found before. It is like a double bonus - fresh photos and learning something new, innit?
During one of the trips in the spring I saw those tall plants being stripped from leaves and flowers. Only after I got closer I saw they were covered in those orange caterpillars!

You know those moments when you walk and you don't realize what you walked into? Yea.. it was one of those. I looked around and they were EVERYWHERE! All the plants around me were full of those orange hungry beasties.

Cinnabar moth caterpillar

The plants the feed on were almost my height so it was quite the view to see them all around me. I can't figure out what it was as they were completely stripped to bare stems. The caterpillars feed on Senecio vulgaris and Senecio triangularis. They both grow freely around and I have often shot them with their yellow flowers and then later on fluffy seeds. Those didn't really have a chance to get to seed stage...

They are definitely not shy with those colours. The orange is a warning for other animals. As the feed on the plants they absorb toxic and very bitter substance the plant has. I read that there is one bird that will eat those though - cuckoos. I guess they don't mind the bitterness and the hair.

Not knowing what exactly they are I did not look any further for other forms. A bit further I did find a lovely black and red moth though, which they all will turn into. But that I found out only back at home. I have some photos that I will show another time.
Slowly.... very slowly I am staring to hate moths a little less. There are some amazing forms out there (just please stay away more me for now!).

Aren't they all lovely?
And cant you see what a lovely job they did stripping the poor plants?

This one posed :)

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_{Shot with Nikon D5500 + Sigma 105mm lens
All photos and text are my own.}

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