Forester Frans Kapteijns shares his knowledge of nature every week. Everyone can submit questions via [email protected]. This time Frans pays attention to a small crazy beast with large feelers, orange caterpillars and a spinning killer. Share one of these driftmail was published on Saturday morning.
Profile photo of Peter de Bekker

Every weekend there is also a new episode of the Stuifmail podcast. Listen to the podcast here:

Waiting for privacy settings …

Crazy little animal with large feelers on a rose

The nymph of the narrow randbug (photo: Sander ten Have).
The nymph of the narrow randbug (photo: Sander ten Have).

Sander ten Have saw a small crazy creature with large feelers on a rose. He wonders what it is. I think we are dealing here with the nymph of the narrow randbug. Bugs have an incomplete metropolit. After these animals have crawled out of their eggs, you see an animal that already looks a lot like an adult hens. Then the last stage of that incomplete worship comes. Then we call such a not adult animal a nymph. Nymphs of the narrow randbug are a lot smaller than the adult hens. They have a green abdomen. This is clearly visible on Sander’s photo.

A narrow edge bug (photo: Fitis Sytske van Dijksen).
A narrow edge bug (photo: Fitis Sytske van Dijksen).

These nymphs can often be found in dense vegetation, close to the ground, but also on the bottom of leaves. And if they have to relocate on top of the leaves, as in the photo above. Adult narrow edge bugs, but also the nymphs, you mainly find on berry bushes, especially in full sun. So you see them for example on Sporkehout, various rose types, but also on the rowan berry and the hawthorn. On the menu of these narrow edge bugs is the juice of ripe fruits.

What kind of caterpillars are on those yellow flowers and what do they do there?

Caterpillars of the Sint-Jacobs Butterfly (photo: Bram Heesterbeek).
Caterpillars of the Sint-Jacobs Butterfly (photo: Bram Heesterbeek).

Bram Heesterbeek wrote to me that he saw yellow flowers on weeds (Bram anyway, weeds does not exist and further, to his surprise, many caterpillars. His most important question is: which caterpillars are they and what do they do there? On the photo of Bram you can see beautiful orange caterpillars with black tires on beautiful plants. These caterpillars are called zebrarupsen. They (eat) mainly live on Jacobskruiskruid, but sometimes also on a few other crossroads. Once they are sitting on a plant, the zebrarupsen eat all this plant bald and you only see the stem still. After a certain period, the caterpillar crawls into the ground.

The Sint-Jacobs butterfly (photo: Tonny van der Moosdijk).
The Sint-Jacobs butterfly (photo: Tonny van der Moosdijk).

After pupating, a beautiful moth comes from the doll: the Sint-Jacobs butterfly. These moths are day -active moths and belong to the family of the Spinneruils, but then at the lower family of the Beervlinders. You will find Sint-Jakobs butterflies mainly on sandy soils, so especially in Brabant.

What kind of black insect is that that drags a spider up?

A spinning killer with wallzoog (photo: Bertina de Smet).
A spinning killer with wallzoog (photo: Bertina de Smet).

Bertina de Smet saw a black animal dragging up a spider. Eventually the duo disappeared under the window frame. What was the matter, she wondered? What she has seen is that a spinning killer, presumably a brick -spinning killer, a spider – a wall -segal eye – took as a prey animal. Masonry spiders are solitary wasps, which attack spiders and paralyze with their sting. The Muurzesoogspin that is recorded here is therefore not dead, but paralyzed and can no longer flee. Spinnododersweps do not catch spiders for themselves to eat. The spiders serve as prey for their larvae. Sometimes the spider legs are bitten off to make moving easier. In the nest, the wasp lays an egg at the paralyzed spider. The wasp larva that comes from such a egg, then eats the living spider. Most spider killers are black, sometimes with red parts and occasionally with white spots. There are around 65 species in the Netherlands.

SECTION Beautiful photos

Queen of the Night (photo: Rinus Mesman).
Queen of the Night (photo: Rinus Mesman).

In the section beautiful photos this time a photo taken by Rinus Mesman. He recorded the beautiful special flower with the name Queen of the Night – Epiphyllum oxypetalum. This is a leaf cactus. This was originally in Central America and North and South America.

Queen of the night before flowering (photo: Rinus Mesman).
Queen of the night before flowering (photo: Rinus Mesman).

The flower of this leaf cactus developed in the evening of 29 June 2025. “That is a surprise every year,” says Rinus.

On Sunday, August 10, a family walk will take place in the Dintelse Gorzen from ten in the morning until half past year. This family walk is a perfect way to experience outdoors, explore nature and learn more about the special landscape of the Dintel Gorzen, which comes to life in the spring and summer.

Dintelse Gorzen
Step into nature and discover the Dintelse Gorzen together with your family, a beautiful nature reserve that is known for its rich flora and fauna. Our guide takes you along the most beautiful places of this unique nature reserve. Along the way we pass marsh areas, grasslands and former salt marshes, where you can fully enjoy the peace and nature. While the children are looking for animal tracks and plants, we learn about the special plant species that grow here, the birds that find their home in this area and the dynamics of water and wind that the Dintel barking changes every day.

What can you expect?
• Spotting animals: During the walk we look for birds, insects and other animals in the area.

• Discovering plants: Learn everything about the special plants that grow in this nature reserve, from reed collars to salt -loving plants.

• Family friendly: the walk is suitable for families with children and offers ample opportunity to make a joint voyage of discovery.

• Rest: enjoy the peace and beauty of this quiet area, where nature and water come together.

More information:
• Register, is mandatory and can Via this link.

• Members of Natuurmonumenten pay seven euros. Non-members ten euros.

• Children up to and including 12 years of age pay 3.50, children of non-members five euros.

• Parking is possible in the Vlietdijk parking lot, See this link.

• Put on sturdy waterproof shoes or (preferably) boots.

• Take your binoculars with you.

• Check yourself for ticks after a walk in nature.

• Walking takes approximately 2.5 hours.

• The activity continues with at least five participants.

• If you come from the parking lot below Sas, the Heen, take into account ten minutes extra time for the lock bridge.

• Participation is always at your own risk.

• Dogs are unfortunately not allowed in the nature reserve.

ttn-32