Wind dispersal of caterpillars ?

[Dr Ian Dunn]

The debate about where we should share news and knowledge of Lepidoptera
has been very instructive to me and as some one relatively new to the Net
( about 12 months now ) I'm learning all sorts of things .

Initially I was very interested in the idea of a news group but largely cos 
I  didn't know you existed ! I propose after this post to lurk awhile before
I join the wider debate . What follows is the sort of thing I might , if
you were all unlucky , wish to share with you .

About a month ago on a cold dry windy day in Derby ( UK ) I attempted to
rescue ( first point if I find a caterpillar wandering about on a path do I
put it somewhere I consider to be safe or do I let events take their 
course ? ) several brown hairy caterpillars which were loose on a busy 
footpath . ( I suspect I'm not supposed to pick up the hairy ones but I 
got away with that bit ! ) In the process I dropped one or two and away
they rolled just like tumble weed . Wind dispesral I wondered ?

This is the sort of thing that interests me and I might be moved to post to
this group not to mention pleas for help on identification etc . 

Would this be welcome amongst what sounds like an otherwise academic
community ?

Ian

-- 
Dr Ian Dunn mailto ianadunn at globalnet.co.uk
Moir Medical Centre Regent St Long Eaton
Nottingham NG10 1JX