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larose forest photos | all galleries >> INSECTS (INSECTA) (28 Galleries) >> Moth Caterpillars >> Pre-tortricid Moth Caterpillars > Parsnip webworm (Depressaria pastinacella), #0922
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30-JUN-2016 Christine Hanrahan

Parsnip webworm (Depressaria pastinacella), #0922

Reveler Conservation Area

Although there are not many of these plants at the Reveler site, the webworms are present and doing their best to control the invasive plant. However, the plant though invasive, does provide much nectar for scores of insects including butterflies, bees, moths, etc.It is also frequently used by the native Black Swallowtail Butterfly to lay eggs on. Here, you can see the caterpillar and the damage it has done to part of the flower (left).

There has been much hysteria over the plant here and it is ridiculous. You need to break the stem or leaves, get the sap on your skin and then get enough sunlight on it to cause the photodermatitis reaction which can include blisters. Just touching or handling the plant, walking through it, etc, will not cause any sort of reaction. I've done that for decades and never had a problem.

Panasonic LUMIX FZ200
1/500s f/4.0 at 4.5mm iso100 hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time30-Jun-2016 11:19:59
MakePanasonic
ModelDMC-FZ200
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length4.5 mm
Exposure Time1/500 sec
Aperturef/4
ISO Equivalent100
Exposure Bias
White Balance
Metering Mode
JPEG Quality
Exposure Program
Focus Distance

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