Scarlet tiger moth caterpillar

After helping Helena with a jumbo crossword  as we sat on the patio, I decided to look for a butterfly in the garden which I'd seen flitting about at odd moments. I walked down to the even wilder parts and as I looked back at the wisteria my eye caught sight of this caterpillar in the grass beside the roots.

At first it was moving across the leaf but then it stopped and seemed to freeze, possibly as it knew I was getting close to it. I tried a few different settings to accommodate the still bright late afternoon sun on this beautiful spring day. In the end I had to lie down on the ground and then kneel beneath the lower branches of the wisteria, which is a low lying tree.

I didn't recognise the caterpillar but have now found that it is a Scarlet tiger moth caterpillar (Callimorpha dominula), in the family Erebidae. It apparently likes to feed on comfrey, and was certainly only about five feet from one of the comfrey plants, but this was a much more obnoxious weed that I can't even bear to name. So I was pleased it was taking a liking to that weed as well. I like the Scarlet tiger moths which will be flying quite soon.

I should also say it was located about fifteen feet directly beneath the spiders from my blip yesterday. I didn't look to see if they were still there.