Field Notes: These Silk-swinging Caterpillars Will Ruin Your Picnic (Patreon)

New episodes of Deep Look are coming your way starting next Tuesday, with a video about California oak moths and their voracious and athletic caterpillars.

Last summer, producer Gabriela Quirós and cinematographer Josh Cassidy headed out to the shores of Lake Merritt, Oakland, to film California oak moth caterpillars devouring the leaves of a coast live oak. Oak leaves are their only source of food.

When the caterpillars are done eating all the oak's leaves, they dangle down on strands of silk. The caterpillars find hard surfaces to attach to and become pupae from which a moth will emerge in the fall.

In early October, Gabriela and Josh returned to Lake Merritt to film the oak moths fluttering around another coast live oak.

Credit: Gabriela Quirós/KQED

Here's the probe lens that allows Josh to get beautiful close-up images of the moths.

Credit: Josh Cassidy/KQED

Female moths beat their wings to disperse pheromones that attract male moths. Then they mate and lay their eggs on the oak's leaves or on plants underneath it.

Credit: Josh Cassidy/KQED

This episode premieres Tuesday, January 12, but Patreon supporters will get a sneak peek this Friday!