unknown caterpillar please help!

[poplar2moth]

Please help... our garden has recently been invaded by a rather large number of small green caterpillars and try a I might I can't identify them anywhere and would be greatful if someone could shed some light on the matter, tried a picture and it wasn't clear at all so a description will have to do so here goes. Light green with black spots and stripes running the length of the body, yellow tip near bottom, black heads, feeding on willow and birch and when disturbed flick thier rears out and curl back on them selves. any one got a clue?

[goosey]

Hello, they sound like Sawfly larvae to me.

Here is a link from the Gallery - are they like this?

http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/ga...searchid=64510

[poplar2moth]

out of curiosity do they provide any useful purpose other then rapidly chomping through out baby willows not a pasttime welcomed by my father!

[goosey]

Originally Posted by poplar2moth

out of curiosity do they provide any useful purpose other then rapidly chomping through out baby willows not a pasttime welcomed by my father!

I have them chomping through the willow every year, they totally strip the leaves to the veins, but cause no lasting problem to the plant. The Blue + great Tits love them , so they are doing some good tell your dad .

[paulchandler6]

Originally Posted by poplar2moth

out of curiosity do they provide any useful purpose other then rapidly chomping through out baby willows not a pasttime welcomed by my father!

I would suggest that everything has a purpose or else it would not have evolved to fill a niche in the environment? (maybe one exception is man, but thats another whole debate/thread ) Cheers

[DebsyD]

Have actually been trying to identify caterpillars I spotted hours ago further down our road on mass stripping a young willow(?) bare. I have searched many very good websites and books and cannot find them, they are similar but different to the sawfly larvae images I found but sound like 'your' caterpillars. I didnt have my macro lens with me and the light was failing but I did snap an image which I have reduced in size and shall attempt to upload and attach it to this message as I cannot find a relevant image on Wild About Britain or a web link.

Wrote this a while ago then uploaded my image to the Gallery but it isn't yet there (guess it is a ridiculous time for anyone to check and add it!). I shall return to the caterpillars in the morning for a better image, upload that and e-mail it to an entemologist I've met at RHS Wisley as he will probably spot what it is straight away. Will get back to you.......

[Tursiops2]

Originally Posted by DebsyD

Have actually been trying to identify caterpillars I spotted hours ago further down our road on mass stripping a young willow(?) bare. I have searched many very good websites and books and cannot find them, they are similar but different to the sawfly larvae images I found but sound like 'your' caterpillars. I didnt have my macro lens with me and the light was failing but I did snap an image which I have reduced in size and shall attempt to upload and attach it to this message as I cannot find a relevant image on Wild About Britain or a web link.

Wrote this a while ago then uploaded my image to the Gallery but it isn't yet there (guess it is a ridiculous time for anyone to check and add it!). I shall return to the caterpillars in the morning for a better image, upload that and e-mail it to an entemologist I've met at RHS Wisley as he will probably spot what it is straight away. Will get back to you.......

Hi DebsyD, welcome to WAB
Upload your pics to the "Forum "or "Unidentified" galleries, then copy/paste the "Forum Image Code" into your message. These galleries aren't moderated so your images will appear straight away.

HTH
T2

[DebsyD]

Will try that, thanks as I'm new to this and got an odd message after uploading the snap last night. Will probably pop quickly down the road with the macro lens now in better light and see if they are still all there (and there's any foliage left!) and try to get a better shot. As poplar2moth said in her orig message they all flick/curl their rear half back off the leaf as if to be making like green twigs so was difficult in the lower light to freeze the constant movement. I expect the houseowner wondered what I was doing photographing their shrubs next to the pavement!!

Deb

[DebsyD]

Images taken today. battled with a slight breeze but as they and the plant (willow I think) were technically in someone's garden I couldnt snip off a sample to bring home indoors.

I should have labelled them GreenYellow larvae as I believe they may be some kind of sawfly larvae from what I have found and feed back given for yesterday's snap. Anyone know anymore about them?....

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My first attempt at placing images on this site or in a message.....hope it works...?

[Harry Eales]

Originally Posted by DebsyD

Images taken today. battled with a slight breeze but as they and the plant (willow I think) were technically in someone's garden I couldnt snip off a sample to bring home indoors.

I should have labelled them GreenYellow larvae as I believe they may be some kind of sawfly larvae from what I have found and feed back given for yesterday's snap. Anyone know anymore about them?....

My first attempt at placing images on this site or in a message.....hope it works...?

Hello DebsyD,

They are Sawfly larvae without a doubt, as to species, well, that's something different. There are several species that will feed equally on Sallows, Willows, and Poplars. Most Sawfly larvae are very similar in colour and markings and the only way to get a positive ID would be to breed them out, a job that is considerbly more difficult that breeding butterflies or moths. The critical stage in breeding them and more so in the pupal state, is controlling the humidity that the pupa require, that's very difficult. I've never been really successful in breeding sawflies despite trying to do so for a couple of decades.

Harry