AN Oakenshaw South nature lover believes the hairy and scary looking caterpillar featured in last week's Advertiser was not the larvae of a white-marked tussock moth but that of a vapourer moth.

We reported that Viv Holmes, of Priest Meadow Close, Astwood Bank, thought the caterpillar her daughter found was a 'woolly bear', the larvae of the striking tiger moth.

But after contacting the Midlands branch of Butterfly Conservation discovered it was a white-marked tussock moth caterpillar.

But Liz Draper, who reared woolly bear caterpillars as a child, said: "It is a vapourer moth caterpillar, not a white-marked tussock moth caterpillar.

"What is interesting about it is that the females are flightless - they have no wings and are basically just an egg barrel waiting to be fertilised.

"Presumably, it was described over the phone and they are both very hairy.

"But this type is very distinctive - I found one last year so that's how I know."