Caterpillars on nettles

[Susie]

I potted some nettle roots over winter and left them outside. I brought the pot inside a few days ago as there is some nice young growth and since then four small webs containing caterpillars have appeared. I didn't put the caterpillar on there so they must have hatched from eggs laid on the leaves.

I am hoping that these are red admiral eggs (do I actually stand a chance of this?) but think that it is more likely they are something else, a moth perhaps?

Can anyone make an educated guess at what would lay on nettles at this time of year?

[Jenny W]

It does sound like a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family. They could be Red Admiral (although I haven't seen any yet, but will be arriving now), but could also be Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell or Comma - all flying now and all larvae feed on Nettle.

Let us know what they turn out to be!

[Susie]

I do hope you are right, although how a butterfly found my pot of nettles stuck in a remote corner is amazing.

I don't think these will be small tort or peacock because I think their eggs are laid in clusters (and possibly later in the year but maybe not as I have seen them about locally so they could be laying now) but the time would be right for single eggs from a red admiral.

[Susie]

I do hope you are right, although how a butterfly found my pot of nettles stuck in a remote corner is amazing.

I don't think these will be small tort or peacock because I think their eggs are laid in clusters (and possibly later in the year but maybe not as I have seen them about locally so they could be laying now) but the time would be right for single eggs from a red admiral.

Edit: Whoops, sorry, you said Comma, not peacock. I shall have to go and look that one up. Thanks.

[Jenny W]

Hi,

Sorry I didn't know the eggs were laid singly, that does indeed narrow it down to Red Admiral or Comma, the eggs are pretty much identical though!

Cheers

[Susie]

Do you know if Comma caterpillars make a tent of silk, Jenny?

[Jenny W]

Hmmmm.... neither Commas or Red A's do this. Red A's make tent like structures by folding leaves over when they first hatch, guessing these 'tents' are held together with strands of silk. Was it like this?

Just trying to think now about any moth species that feeds on nettle and lays it's eggs now, but nothing springs to mind.

[CapAndBracket]

Originally Posted by Susie

I potted some nettle roots over winter and left them outside. I brought the pot inside a few days ago as there is some nice young growth and since then four small webs containing caterpillars have appeared. I didn't put the caterpillar on there so they must have hatched from eggs laid on the leaves.

Can anyone make an educated guess at what would lay on nettles at this time of year?

I'm thinking peacock catapillars make webs and the adults have been around
for some time this year.

Cheers J.P.

[Susie]

Well, the people on the butterfly forum reckon these aren't going to be butterfly caterpillars so I guess we shall have to wait and see what they turn into.

Thank you all for the suggestions, though.

[Jim Ford]

Protect the caterpillars from parasitites somehow - eg. netting. It's horrible when caterpillars reach a good size and then you find them dead with ichneaumon pupa alongside!

Jim