Page 2 | Any caterpillar identification boffins around, anyone know what these are?

Tidgypuds · 2008-08-25T10:31:57+00:00

Black and yellow caterpillar with slightly hairy body, there is about a million of them on my broccoli? Im just wondering whether to keep a few for a butterfly project. Thanks.

BoysAreLikeDogs · 25/08/2008 22:56

Cor blimey you know your stuff, how great is that BBM

BigBadMousey · 25/08/2008 22:59

Yes, they are safe to handle. I'm actually quite sensitive to caterpillars but I can handle them without any problem and they aren't noted for causing an irritation (other than with cabbage growers )

The garden tiger one I had (in that link) caused minor skin irritation and I managed to get two days off school by letting him crawl over my chest and giving me a bad rash (I was 10 btw).

We have loads of buddlejas in our garden too, I love them - easy to grow, smell lovely, look nice and keep the DDs entertained.

I'm enjoying the admiring comments - no one understood it when I was a kid . My DD2 has a snail obsession - I think that one is more common...

BoysAreLikeDogs · 25/08/2008 23:00

Original poster

Tidgypuds · 25/08/2008 23:08

BBM you are now my caterpillar companion

Ds will be elated when I tell him he can put them on his hand.

We went to the butterfly exhibition at the Natural history museum this year, DD was in awe of all these amazing butterflies and HUGE caterpillars. There were some that were as big as my hand.
The keeper asked if we would like to have one of the butterflies feed off our hand he placed fresh orange juice on the back and placed the butterfly on, I have to say it was a lovely experience.

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BigBadMousey · 25/08/2008 23:16

I have an elephant hawk moth caterpillar in my garden atm - fantastic huge chunky thing who seems to like living on my pond iris .

I also had a hummingbird hawk moth visit my hanging basket one year - that was amazing because they really do look like hummingbirds.

The green ones might be nicer to handle btw (becasue they don't smell like the large white ones)

Original poster

Tidgypuds · 25/08/2008 23:31

Ok green ones it will be.
DS has a hand sniffing habit. It may cause a sensory overload with the big whites

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Original poster

Tidgypuds · 25/08/2008 23:36

How you can tell the moths apart? to me they all look the same but to be honest havent spent a great deal of time looking at them. I suppose moths get overlooked by most people.

We had a blue butterfly recently, I did a bit of googling and think it may have been a chalk hill blue. Not sure if they are common or not but I had never seen one before.

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blithedance · 26/08/2008 00:06

BigBadMousey that's fine, just could you bring some organic purple sprouting broccoli with you. Enough for them, and me

My fault I suppose I will get my companion planting sorted out next year.

I found a beautiful magpie moth in the kitchen recently, took lots of pictures and the DC's had a good look, carefully released it outside. Then I identified it as the monster that has decimated my gooseberry bush for the last three years .
Sorry I'm really interested in wildlife but it is like the plague of locusts around here.

blithedance · 26/08/2008 00:06

BigBadMousey that's fine, just could you bring some organic purple sprouting broccoli with you. Enough for them, and me

My fault I suppose I will get my companion planting sorted out next year.

I found a beautiful magpie moth in the kitchen recently, took lots of pictures and the DC's had a good look, carefully released it outside. Then I identified it as the monster that has decimated my gooseberry bush for the last three years .
Sorry I'm really interested in wildlife but it is like the plague of locusts around here.

BigBadMousey · 26/08/2008 09:16

Moth identification is sometimes quite tricky - some are very obvious but others look very similar. I love moths - I think it is their furry bodies . Some moths (like the garden tiger and the magpie moth) are so pretty you could mistake them for butterflies. To tell butterflies and moths apart you have to look at them at rest - butterflies rest with their wings together above their 'back' moths rest with their wings outstretched at the sides.

The chalkhill blue is quite common - we have them here but no chalk hills . Their caterpillar have something called a 'honey gland' which secretes a sweet fluid which ants love. Sometimes ants will move them closer to the nests - bit like having a convenience store next to your house - this in turn keeps the caterpillars safe from certain caterpillar eating monsters apparently. Their caterpillars are really cute - short and dumpy, bright green with yellow stripes.

Blithedance - my campanion plants are pretty much all I have left. I ended up with self-seeded nasturtiums next to my germinating carrots. When I had babyDS I left the garden to it's own devices for 3 days and when I went back it was a sea of nasturtiums and no carrots - I guess the nasturtiums had blocked so much light that the seedlings gave up - worse still, the same happened to my parsnip seedlings (no parsnip and parmesan soup for me ths year )

I have one of those Magpie moths in amongst my Gooseberry bushes right now. DDs and I have been spying on him for weeks. I have only seen one moth and two caterpillars all year but my gooseberry bushes are naked . If they find their way over to my blackcurrants and redcurrants I may have to pack their bags and send them next door . They are very pretty moths though....

TooTicky · 26/08/2008 09:29

I'm glad other people like moths too. I find the big chunky ones quite exciting. I am keen but unknowledgeable.

BigBadMousey · 26/08/2008 09:51

I want to go on one of those night-time moth hunts - they look like fun (plus I'm up all night with DD2 anyway so I might as well do something useful i.e. not 'controlled' crying!)

Original poster

Tidgypuds · 28/08/2008 19:29

BIGBADMOUSEY, sorry didnt mean to shout on capslock. I have found another caterpillar which I havent a clue what it is and DS keeps saying mummy go on mumsnet and ask that mouse lady
It was on a stinging nettle with the leaves wrapped round him, green underneath dark on top with a gold/lightbrown head. Moves really fast. Do you know what it is?
DS is keen to add to the collection which is now in the fish tank.

Also do we keep them outside or inside?

Thanks.

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Original poster

Tidgypuds · 28/08/2008 20:35

Caterbump.

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watershed · 29/08/2008 13:25

Hi Tidgypuds, not really my speciality but your caterpillar with the green underside is a cabbage moth (Mamestra brassicae) I think.

Original poster

Tidgypuds · 29/08/2008 15:29

Thanks watershed, we have been hunting for the past hour for new species (DS exact words!)

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JillJ72 · 02/09/2008 22:43

I sowed nasturtiums and we subsequently watched the cabbage whites come and lay their eggs, then watch as baby caterpillars developed into quite sizeable creatures... went on holiday and came back to totally stripped nasturtiums and no sign of the caterpillars... bit of a 'piece of string' question, but any ideas where they may have gone please?!

Original poster

Tidgypuds · 03/09/2008 23:02

Sorry Jillj72, not sure but I bet Bigbadmousey will know.

Bigbadmousey if you are around - Our caterpillars have turned into the crystallis thing now, so do we just wait?

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kerrie33 · 14/09/2008 20:10

Hi my hubby has found the most horrible bug thing ever seen in our garden today it is like a huge white caterpillar dark blue under the outside skin with four legs just at the frount it is a bit bigger than an adults little finger my 7 year old wants to put it in a jar and take it to school what an earth is it??????