which orange/brown caterpillar, please

Lemars · #1 (**permalink**) 19-10-2011, 05:33 PM

Hello all. Please would anyone be able to identify this caterpillar. It's about 3cm long and quite slimly-built ! Head is a pale yellow and there's a bit of kink at the tail (with 2 darker spots on the brown markings)

It was the only one found on a flower-head this afternoon and since I've seen so few caterpillars this year, I'd love to know something about it's parentage.

C

Lemars · #2 (**permalink**) 23-10-2011, 08:41 AM

I think this is the first time that no-one has been able to help me.

If there's anyone out there who can give me a hint, I'd really be grateful. The fact that I've had no replies makes it even more of a curiosity.

C

naturegirl · #3 (**permalink**) 23-10-2011, 11:19 PM

Hello Lemars
I am not an expert in this field and would recomend Jim Porter's book 'The Colour Identification Guide to Caterpillars of the British Isles'.

This lists all of the caterpillars known to the British Mainland and would surely have your species within.

Best wishes.

Naturegirl

Lemars · #4 (**permalink**) 24-10-2011, 07:25 AM

Thank you Naturegirl - I was beginning to think there was noone out there !!

I went straight to Amazon - only to find that the book is £55 !! A bit on the steep side, so I guess I'll just have to keep wondering. I'm sure there are sites where I could look online, but - well, what a needle in a haystack.

It was good of you to reply, though, and thank you for the recommendation.

C

The Woodman · #5 (**permalink**) 24-10-2011, 07:34 AM

Hi Lemars

You might try WAB's sister site, Wild About the World, there are some handy European mothers on there.

Lemars · #6 (**permalink**) 24-10-2011, 07:39 AM

Aha - Woodman. You're probably quite right, it's just that so many of the caterpillars etc we get here are British and European, so I was hoping it would be recognisable to someone on WAB.

I'll try WAW - I haven't been on that site for ages, anyway.

Thank you for the suggestion.

C

The Woodman · #7 (**permalink**) 24-10-2011, 07:43 AM

I had a good look at it but have never seen one like it!

Fauna · #8 (**permalink**) 24-10-2011, 07:56 AM

Hi Lemars...

Not a deffinate id from me, but this looks possible for Scarce Bordered Straw - Helicoverpa armigera. This can be a variable coloured species, i believe they are also known as the African Bollworm.

Regards Chris...

Lemars · #9 (**permalink**) 24-10-2011, 09:55 AM

Thank you Fauna !!!

I've looked that up (Helicoverpa armigera) and - in the absence of any other options and the clear similarity of the online images, I'm going to go with your suggestion. Well done !!

It would also (as Woodman suggested) appear to be a pest in the rest of the world, but unlikely to appear in the UK. I didn't keep it, so it's still roaming freely around the garden eating all the veg and flowers. One site said the only sure means of identification was to dissect the genitalia which would have been a step too far even if I'd kept it in a jam-jar !!!

Thank you for all your help, everyone. I've also (I hope - I hate the photo attachment in WAW) posted it on the sister-site, so maybe someone else will be able to confirm.

C

naturegirl · #10 (**permalink**) 28-10-2011, 10:00 PM

Hi guys!

I found one of these quite some years ago when I was studying Floristry at College. I had made a bridesmaid's head dress using red/brown berries imported from Europe.

I noticed a caterpiller emerging from one of these berries and kept it feeding on similar that I had in my garden and it pupated and emerged into a Scarce bordered straw which can be a pest species on orchards in Europe I believe.

Needless to say I did not release it into the wild.......

Naturegirl