Caterpillars for ID

[djeyewater]

#1 About 6mm long, curled into a ball when it was scared. Date taken: 08/09/08. Plants around where it was found include grass, plum, Rose and Lemon Balm.


#2 13mm long, would guess it had previously been on large variegated grass or Sallow bush. Looks like it's gone to the loo.


#3 Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi) Caterpillar? Probably about 10cm long and we have a Sallow bush in our garden I expect it had been feeding on.


#4 About 15mm long. Was probably on large variegated grass or a Sallow bush before.


I believe all the below are angleshades moth caterpillars?

#5

#6

#7

Thanks

Dave

[Dogghound]

1. Sawfly larvae maybe Endelomyia aethiops
2. Looks like a sawfly too
3.poplar hawkmoth Laothoe populi
4.Sawfly possibly Nematus capreae

[Dogghound]

Forgot #5,6,7. Is Melanchra persicariae The Dot Moth, Not Angle Shades.

[djeyewater]

Thanks for your help with those.

#1 Other pictures I have found of Endelomyia aethiops larvae on the internet seem to be yellow/green with an orange head, so I have just labelled this one as sawfly larva for now.

#4 Looks like Nematus capreae, but the black line along its middle looks more dotted in other pictures, like this one. Does this mean it's not Nematus capreae?

#5-7 I thought it was angleshades because #6 was eating the same plant (and they look similar) to this pic that previously had angleshades suggested for an ID:

So I assumed #6 was the same indivdual as above, but a bit older. Do you think the above pic is probably a young Dot Moth larva as well, or is it more likely the plant (Montbretia) has been eaten by both angleshades and the dot moth larvae?

Thanks

Dave

[Dogghound]

The sawfly larvae are all just suggestions im not to good on these yet.

Both angle shades and dot moth larvae feed on quite a range of plants so its likely they will feed on the same species. The photo is from an odd angle but I would personally say that its a young dot moth, not an angle shades the stripes down the eyes and markings suggest this.

[djeyewater]

Thanks again for your help, knowing the caterpillars are sawfly larvae rather than lepidopteran larvae is helpful for me.

With regards to the Young Dot Moth, here's a different picture of it along with a similar angle of #6, which I believe is the same individual:


Dave

[Lance Morgan]

I agree with DH it is a Dot Moth.

[Dogghound]

Yes these other photos confirm its a dot moth.

[djeyewater]

Just went in the garden after lunch and found this chap, about 3 or 4cm long, on Lemon Balm.


Any ideas on an ID for him/her?

Dave

[Dogghound]

Its Acronicta rumicis the Knot-grass.