Ocnogyna loewii and clathrata Caterpillars Ocnogyna loewii/cypriaca/clathrata

Ocnogyna moth caterpillar
Ocnogyna moth caterpillar
Ocnogyna (loweii) cypriaca and Ocnogyna clathrata are very similar moth caterpillars both found on Cyprus where these were photographed. O. loweii is found in Asia Minor, Cyprus, the Near East, the Caucasus and western Central Asia (including Iran). Some give the Cyprus moth full species status. O. clathrata is found on Cyprus, Rhodes and in the Near East and Turkey.
Ocnogyna moth caterpillar Fully-grown caterpillar, solitary.
Ocnogyna moth caterpillar Half-grown caterpillar, gregarious.
Ocnogyna moth caterpillar Earlier caterpillar, gregarious.
O. (l.) cypriaca is called the March caterpillar in Cyprus as hundreds emerge from their ground-based web tents in March near the coast but also up to May inland at higher altitude. It is also called the Web Bear. (Pine Processionary moths emerge from tree-based tents at the same time.) The moth flies in winter and the caterpillars pupate through the summer.
Ocnogyna moth caterpillar
Ocnogyna moth caterpillar
Ocnogyna moth caterpillar
O. clathrata seems to have a similar development to O. loweii/O.cypriaca and it is unclear whether the two exist together on the island of Cyprus, where all these photos were taken in April, or whether only one of these is present.
Ocnogyna moth caterpillar
Ocnogyna moth caterpillar
Ocnogyna moth caterpillar
The caterpillars of both feed on various herbaceous plants and favour open or semi-open, warm habitats.