Small Brown Caterpillar I.D please

Pigeon feather · #1 (**permalink**) 28-12-2007, 11:12 AM

Hi everyone, hope you have all had a lovely christmas

I was out in the garden the other evening and noticed a small brown caterpillar hanging on for dear life from the mesh of my ferrets hutch

I managed to rescue it just before my ferret tried to eat it! It felt cold so I brought it inside and once it warmed up it began to move, I wasn't sure what to feed it but I had some parsley so tried it and it loves it! It's growing bigger by the day although it's only about 1.5 inches at present, haven't been able to I.D it by searching in books and online though I have, I think narrowed it down to a moth larvae of some sort, It's definately more active at night and it has a faint broken white line down the middle of it's back and darker brown chevrons like v's down it's side, it's under carriage is paler brown.
Hope I have given enough info for the time being! any help to succesfully identify it would be gratefully received

Here's a pic:

goosey · #2 (**permalink**) 28-12-2007, 12:18 PM

Hi Pigeon feather, it could well be an Angle Shades moth larva (Phlogophora meticulosa).

Pigeon feather · #3 (**permalink**) 28-12-2007, 02:05 PM

Hi Goosey, many thanks for the response

it definately looks like the one, the larvae in my book for the Angle Shades was green so I didn't realise they were the same but now know they can also be brown, very pretty moths they are too, thankyou!

Lance Morgan · #4 (**permalink**) 28-12-2007, 02:50 PM

Yes its an Angleshades brown form of the larva.

Dogghound · #5 (**permalink**) 28-12-2007, 06:22 PM

Yes i agree the brown form of Phlogophora meticulosa, The larva is polyphagous so wont be to picky with what it eats. They are found throughout the year so its likely to be ok despite the cold although as you say the warmth will increase its metabolism and it will soon grow to adulthood.

Dogghound · #6 (**permalink**) 28-12-2007, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Yes i agree the brown form of Phlogophora meticulosa, The larva is polyphagous so wont be to picky with what it eats. They are found throughout the year so its likely to be ok despite the cold although as you say the warmth will increase its metabolism and it will soon grow to adulthood.

Although it usually overwinters as larva.