Caterpillar ID help

[Yokaiwatch]

My son has ‘rescued’ a caterpillar in my garden that has been feasting on my hosta. I’m hoping someone can help identify what type of caterpillar it is please.

Photo of Colin is attached.

thanks!

You can see the markings on the side better this way

What are you feeding him on now? They’re usually quite specific to food plant. You may have to sacrifice more hosta.

I’ll look in my caterpillar book later.

He’ll almost certainly be a moth not a butterfly

Google says it's a Grey Dagger.

https://butterfly-conservation.org/moths/grey-dagger

Grey dagger?

Moths have such brilliant names.

Lives on a wide variety of deciduous trees including Oak, Hawthorn, Birch and Elm, so no need to sacrifice your Hosta.

Thanks everyone he is a grey dagger. He has hosts and rose leaves but I’m not sure if he is dead or turning into a moth (pupating?). He isn’t moving and is lying in the soil. He has lost the colour he had and is now brown. Any ideas if he is dead?

Has he still got the appendages?

No he doesn’t seem to have anything but a thin body I think he has died. How long does it take for them to pupate?

Quite quick to change from caterpillar to brown hard pupa. Less than 24hours if I remember rightly. They then stay as a pupa until they emerge as a moth next May.

@MereDintofPandiculation i didn’t realise it took months. I thought it was days or a week. Do I need to do anything? Should I put it outside?

Keep it undisturbed in a cool place, if you decide it’s pupated rather than died. This page has a picture of the pupa

@MereDintofPandiculation thanks for your help!