Identify Small Hairy Caterpillar

[DaveyWundaBoi]

Hi there everyone! I found a caterpillar roaming in my grassy garden. He's about 1/2 an inch long and very thing. He has spines/hairs and a mohican of yellow, orange and red dots down his back. I would like to look after him, and if you would like a picture I will upload one soon. I was wondering what a genera good food is? Is conker leaves OK, and I also read that nettles are a good food source for most Caterpillars? He doesn't seem hungry, just walking around a lot. Is it too early for him to start pupation/hibernation?

Cheers and please help!

Dave

[poppett]

Originally Posted by DaveyWundaBoi

Hi there everyone! I found a caterpillar roaming in my grassy garden. He's about 1/2 an inch long and very thing. He has spines/hairs and a mohican of yellow, orange and red dots down his back. I would like to look after him, and if you would like a picture I will upload one soon. I was wondering what a genera good food is? Is conker leaves OK, and I also read that nettles are a good food source for most Caterpillars? He doesn't seem hungry, just walking around a lot. Is it too early for him to start pupation/hibernation?

Cheers and please help!

Dave

i LOVE caterpillars
well without a photo its a complete random guess but possibly a yellow tail or a white ermine...
you should be carefull when handeling caterpillars though especially hairy ones as some of them can cause a skin irritation and are very easily hurt. - i would personally reccomend you put him back where you found him as he was likely born somewhere near something he will class as food.
you need to work out what type of caterpillar he is before you can work out what to feed him as alot of them eat different things.
research allover the net to find something that looks like the one you found and would most certainly advise you let him go once he has pupated to a butterfly. if you put a pic up i may be able to help you identify or one of the experts on here will for sure x

[DaveyWundaBoi]

I'm just waiting the images to be processed. I would love to keep it if possible though. If noone can identify him, i'll put him back later. Thanks for your help though and keep your eyes peeled through the day for the uploaded pictures, I realy appreciate your help!

[DaveyWundaBoi]

He's eating the clover flowers i put in with him! Curious! Wasn't aware they ate flowers... Perhaps he's pretending...

[Naturenutz]

Hard without a photo.But it sounds like the vapourer moth caterpillar

[poppett]

Originally Posted by Naturenutz

Hard without a photo.But it sounds like the vapourer moth caterpillar

EEK! they are strange looking things i must say lol!!
What about a gypsy moth???
i like this game... guess the caterpillar without even seeing it haha

[Lance Morgan]

Could be Vapourer in which case it will eat alot of different stuff, Hawthorn etc

[DaveyWundaBoi]

I think it's the vapourer to be honest, however It still doesn't look like any of them! It east clover flowers and is really small, however I imagine thats because it's pretty young and has a lot of growing to do! Thanks again guys and keep posting!

[poppett]

Originally Posted by DaveyWundaBoi

I think it's the vapourer to be honest, however It still doesn't look like any of them! It east clover flowers and is really small, however I imagine thats because it's pretty young and has a lot of growing to do! Thanks again guys and keep posting!

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Vzf5uXBirv...2106%2B003.jpg
im going with vapourer... looks just like one! HOW CUUUUTE

[Jason Green]

Afternoon Dave, and welcome to WAB!

The caterpillar looks like the Vapourer to me, too. See The Vapourer Orgyia antiqua - UKMoths

Oak and Lime are good foodplants too, as is Apple.

Take care,

Jason