VILLAGERS have been left stunned after thousands of very hungry caterpillars spun an incredible web to create new home in a hedge.
Remarkable pictures show blankets of silvery webs on vegetation in South Gloucestershire, near Bristol.
The tiny larvae have made large communal silvery webs to protect their chosen feeding plants.
The silky blanket acts as a giant cocoon, so the creatures can munch away on their dinner, free from predators.
This safe haven means they can gorge on vegetation before they pupate into moths.
Locals joked the hedge looked like the giant spider from Harry Potter, Aragog, had made his home there.
HOW DO CATERPILLARS DO THIS?
Caterpillars draw silk from a spinneret, located in their lower lips.
Within its salivar-filled glands, the caterpillar makes the liquid silk and it goes through a tube to the outer edge of the spinneret.
As the silk is drawn out, it immediately dries up once it makes contact with air.
Others said they had no idea caterpillars were responsible.
Thinking it had been covered in the web effect spray in a can popular at Halloween.
Silky blankets have been spotted in other parts of the country as the ermine moths have begun to lay their eggs.
Source: Read Full Article