Callimorpha dominula resting on a dry oak leaf

Pachypasa otus larvae almost invisible on a Pinus silvestris twig

Hawkmoth Proserpinus proserpina folding out its wings...

...and now ready

Orgyia gonostigma/recens larva eating on a Salix leaf

                  Orgyia gonostigma/recens pair mating - bred female big,  woolly and wingless has attracted a wild male by its pheromones

Papilio alexanor maccabaeus female just emerged from its pupa

Wing shape is more rounded in comparaison to male...

 ...and here is the male.

Third instar Brahmaea tancrei larva feeding on Ligustrum

A nymphalis polychloros female just passed by

...and laid her eggs on a Salix bush

The remains after the Nymphalis polychloros eggs

laid around a Salix twig, female shown above

Big-headed polychloros larva is very active in sunshine

Larva in position to pupate...

soon it has get rid of its larval skin, and it is just hanging there

An adult has emerged...

...and showing inside of its wings

Polygonia c-album larva occasionally found on Urtica dioica

...and a few days later the pupa is hanging beneath a leaf

The life-cycle of Poygonia c-album is completed

...and here is the black spotted male

Lasiocampa quercus callunae female just emerged

from its cocoon and folding out and drying wings

This photograph is taken in the very moment

when it turns its wings to common position

...in a piece of a second...

Araschnia levana eggs hanging in clusters on its

foodplant Urtica dioica

-  from Vomb, Skåne , Sweden  -

Araschnia levana larva often hides under a nettle leaf,  if touched it will

immediately drop to the ground

Araschnia levana pupa

Second generation levana adult drying its wings after emerging

Orange spotted levana prorsa adult

Hawkmoth-like Endromis versicolora larva feeding on Betula alba

Limenitis populi nominate male.  The Scandinavian form of populi is much bluish

 Larva about 3 mm  - at first instar brownish - on a Populus tremula leaf.
This way of consuming a leaf is representative for the Limenitis populi species.
It starts with the tip but leaves the main nerv. Before the leaves fall off to 
the ground in fall, the tiny  larva makes a small, bud-like cocoon  attached to a twig.
When the first leaves emerge in coming early spring, the larva leaves 
the cocoon  and starts to eat again. 

The pupa folded in its leaf

Giant Saturnia pyri male showing its terrifying eyes

Beautiful lilac coloured Saturnia pyri pair (male left, female right) mating in an outdoor excellent "IKEA Fyllen" cage;

this procedure might last for up to 24  hrs or even more  

Catocala fulminea larva on a plum twig

Just emerged Catocala fulminea July 15, about a month later after pic of larva

Full-grown Papilio machaon machaon larva and its favourite foodplant Peucedanum palustre

Cosmotriche potatoria larva,  unfortunately this very specimen was infected by a bunch of parasites

Copyright  Photo © Jonas Waldeck

Peridea anceps larva feeds on Quercus robur

Epicnaptera ilicifolia larva found during a blueberry picking excursion;

favourite foodplant for ilicifolia is Vaccinium myrtillus

25 mm Cucullia lactucae larva found on a dill plant

A Nymphalis antiopa larva was found attached to

a stalk of grass; some days later it had transformed

into a pupa as shown

- Vomb Sk, Tilde Waldeck legit -

Nymphalis antiopa adult emerging Aug 14

Showed to be a big female

Acherontia atropos first instar larva hiding beneath a Ligustrum leaf

In captivity atropos larvae willingly accept Ligustrum as foodplant

Same larva Sept 18, 2005 already 35 mms, trying to scare away the photographer

Sept 28, now measuring 90 mms

Sept 30. The more yellowish 100 mms full-grown atropos larva now has stopped eating and is searching for a place to pupate

Nov 11 in the morning the adult emerged showing its characteristic terrifying death's head

Huge Antheraea yamamai pair mating during night, female above, male some darker below;

yamamai accept even sieblings, eggs will hibernate and hatch in May here

when the leaves of Quercus robur emerge 

Hyles tithymali drying its wings. Emerged Sept 19.

Rotschildia aurota male just emerged