I was helping Emma and Fern scout some potential research sites this afternoon (9 July 2022) and we started to notice some Western Tussock Moth caterpillars (Orgyia vetusta) in the high intertidal zone. Eventually we discovered that the caterpillars were coming from the top of the bluff where they had been feeding on lupines. At one point Fern looked down to see the scene shown above — a Lined Shore Crab (Pachygrapsus crassipes) feeding on one of the caterpillars! I haven't seen this before, so it seemed worth documenting.
Earlier in the day I had noticed a few of these caterpillars, but in this case what caught my eye is that the caterpillars were eating seaweed! Here's a Western Tussock Moth caterpillar nibbling on Ulva intestinalis:
Interesting! I guess food is food, even if it's not what's usually on the menu. I'm always a little shocked when I see a chipmunk or squirrel feeding on roadkill since I don't really think of them as carnivorous.
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