Caterpillar ID please

[Crumble]

We found this caterpillar on a gooseberry bush stem. Can't ID it from the few books we have, so if anyone could put a name to it, it would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

[GuyF]

This is a caterpillar of The Magpie moth, the adults are beauties!
Guy

[Crumble]

I've just googled it and I agree, it is stunning.

Thanks guy. We have all of the food plants around and about. It was transferred from the gooseberry to a neighbouring blackthorn, so it should be quite happy with the swap.

Have to look out for it over the coming weeks.

[bigdave60dog]

Originally Posted by GuyF

This is a caterpillar of The Magpie moth, the adults are beauties!
Guy

Squash it. They are becoming a major problem in North Scotland if not elsewhere.
They have changed to eating variety of food plants and are destroying Heather moors
(last year there were 3 adults to square meter over a huge patch in Caithness)
they strip bark off young willow trees. They have denuded my flowering currant and Gooseberry Bushes in previous years just to name a few of the reasons why you should squash it.
You may get the idea that I don`t like them. You would be right.
Dave

[Crumble]

I'm getting a sense of loathing coming through.

As long as it sticks to blackthorn, it can thrive here but we've got a few blue tits nesting around so they can carry out a natural pest control service. If they survive the 50-60mph winds we're enjoying at the moment.

[Harry Eales]

Originally Posted by Crumble

I'm getting a sense of loathing coming through.

As long as it sticks to blackthorn, it can thrive here but we've got a few blue tits nesting around so they can carry out a natural pest control service. If they survive the 50-60mph winds we're enjoying at the moment.

When I was in my youth, well over half a century ago the Magpie Moth was abundant on every Gooseberry bush in Northumberland and Durham. It was easy for me as a teenager to collect 50 or more larvae or pupae from a single bush. I also caught them by the hundred as adults in my first MV traps. Today I very rarely see them, sometimes it is several years between the specimens I come across. There are two colour forms of the larvae, one being a melanic form, but when these are bred out they invariably result in typical adult forms. Extreme variation is known though in adult specimens. (Usually obtained by selective breeding over many years).

The larvae do feed on a variety of plants, as with many other species that are either adaptable or omniverous. Never ever kill a larvae, they're entitled to life (however short) as much as you are.

Harry

[Crumble]

Originally Posted by Harry Eales

Never ever kill a larvae, they're entitled to life (however short) as much as you are.

Harry

Within our little piece of rural Wales, pretty much everything is allowed its freedom. One of the few enemies we have is the Blackthorn and that always wins.

We only found the gooseberry bush a few weeks ago after changing some fences around and clearing some scrub. I'm sure there's plenty out there yet to be discovered (by us at any rate).

[Harry Eales]

Originally Posted by Crumble

Within our little piece of rural Wales, pretty much everything is allowed its freedom. One of the few enemies we have is the Blackthorn and that always wins.

We only found the gooseberry bush a few weeks ago after changing some fences around and clearing some scrub. I'm sure there's plenty out there yet to be discovered (by us at any rate).

Hello Crumble,

The Magpie Moth pupae are very easy to find, the larvae spin a very light net web on a twig of the foodplant and pupates within this web. It is so fine and sparse that the pupae are clearly visible through the netting. A day or so after pupation the pupae will become a shiny black colour with bright yellow bands on the abdomen and thus highly visible.

It one of the easiest of all moth pupae to find.

Harry

[bigdave60dog]

I am interested to note that no-one else sees them as being a major pest.
In North East Scotland and The Northern Isles they have diversified from their normal food plants to become very serious pests. As I said denuding Heather moors Young willow trees to mention two.
Are we the only area where this is happening?
My neighbours are the gentlest of folk and will always live and let live. But even they say "Squash em"
Dave

[Crumble]

All the references on the web seem to indicate that they are a pest in northern Scotland but becoming scarce elsewhere, so as long as it doesn't diversify to eating humans or one of the chickens, it'll be ok

We have plenty of its food plants where it was found, so it's likely that it has found the caterpillar version of nirvana. It's amazing how much is out there once you open your eyes.

Even the gooseberry was unknown until we started clearing. That's what I love about the 'outdoors'. Nothing's tidy and everything evolves before your eyes.