Small white spiky larva for id please

jeremiah · #1 (**permalink**) 25-07-2011, 10:42 PM

There were a number of these on a garden hypericum, moving about quite fast over the leaves. I could see legs and a small head, so I don't think they are aphids. I would say a bit less than 0.5cm long.

Sorry about the poor photo, I only had my phone with me.

jeremiah · #2 (**permalink**) 26-07-2011, 01:01 PM

This much better picture is from the Image library:
Message - Wild About Britain Pics

These are some more I took today (pretty awful), you can just see a yellowish head in one picture and yellowish legs in another.

UB4 gardener · #3 (**permalink**) 26-07-2011, 08:41 PM

do you have an Alder trees nearby? looks similar to the larvae of Eriocampa ovata .

Chris

jeremiah · #4 (**permalink**) 26-07-2011, 10:40 PM

No, no alders anywhere near.

It's 3-4mm long, runs quite fast, sticks its head out and waves it about as if looking for something.

An ant on the same leaf as one of these ignored it.

I took some more pictures:

jeremiah · #5 (**permalink**) 26-07-2011, 10:58 PM

I wonder if it could possibly be the larva of Cryptolaemus montrouzieri - the Mealybug Ladybird - which is an Australian ladybird used to control scale insects. It is actually sold here for that purpose.