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What are these on my Salvia

Gardenpixie99Gardenpixie99 Posts: 25
in Problem solving
at least I think it’s salvia that came over from somewhere. Some caterpillar?

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    The lovely Cinnabar Moth caterpillars.  

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Gardenpixie99Gardenpixie99 Posts: 25
    Thank you @Dovefromabove !!
  • Victoria SpongeVictoria Sponge Posts: 3,502
    You have some interesting wildlife @Gardenpixie99, nice to see🙂

    I thought your caterpillars looked like mullein moth but not quite right. I searched the forum for images and it seems @Hippophae has identified these on the same foodplant:

    https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/comment/2087084#Comment_2087084

    Could these be a match?
    Wearside, England.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I noticed the same caterpillars on many of my Toadflax (Linaria) plants and also thought they were mullien moth caterpillars (which ate most of my mullein flowers again!) but they are indeed slightly different - you live and learn

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I think you're right @Victoria Sponge. They have that distinctive yellow striping along the length of their body. The mulleins are more fragmented.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Victoria SpongeVictoria Sponge Posts: 3,502
    I've never seen them before @Fairygirl and I have lots of toadflax. As @Pete.8 says, you live and learn👍
    Wearside, England.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Me meither - we don't  get them up here  :)
    I often use a site called Wildlife Insight. You can send photos to them and they'll ID them. I did that a couple of years ago with a caterpillar I had on the house wall, that I'd never seen before.

    One of the Dagger moths  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Gardenpixie99Gardenpixie99 Posts: 25
    Victoria Sponge said:
    You have some interesting wildlife @Gardenpixie99, nice to see🙂

    I thought your caterpillars looked like mullein moth but not quite right. I searched the forum for images and it seems @Hippophae has identified these on the same foodplant:

    https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/comment/2087084#Comment_2087084

    Could these be a match?
    Hello @Victoria Sponge yes they are the ones! Whole family of them happily munching on my plant 😂 
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    It seems like the cinnabar moth might be having a good year, from all the reports.
  • Victoria SpongeVictoria Sponge Posts: 3,502
    I've saved that site as a favourite Fairygirl, might come in handy🙂

    Hopefully your plant will be ok Gardenpixie, they are perennial but also seed around.
    Wearside, England.
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