black and yellow caterpillar

spanglehead · #1 (**permalink**) 01-08-2010, 11:59 PM

Found this munching on some blackcurrant bushes. It's a really xexexexe photo, sorry. Thought it might be cinnabar moth but this one has black hairs with round black balls on the end. Alder moth?

Jason Claxton · #2 (**permalink**) 02-08-2010, 12:02 AM

Hi Spanglehead

That does look like an Alder Moth.

spanglehead · #3 (**permalink**) 02-08-2010, 03:44 PM

Thanks....found that surprising, as they don't seem that common in Scotland going from distribution maps I've seen....I'm sure the balls on the end of the hairs were round though, rather than pointy....

Jason Claxton · #4 (**permalink**) 02-08-2010, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spanglehead

Thanks....found that surprising, as they don't seem that common in Scotland going from distribution maps I've seen....I'm sure the balls on the end of the hairs were round though, rather than pointy....

Hi Spanglehead

I checked the NBN distribution map which did indeed show few records in Scotland,but it is well distributed up to the north of England,so it appears to be extending its range northward,also I'm not sure how recent the data is for the NBN map .

Cheers ,Jason