Caterpillar in February - what could it be?

Posts

• Fairygirl Posts: 55,117

  February 2022

  Hawkmoth of some kind - maybe the privet one.
  One of the wildlife boys will help you further @wild edges or @Alan Clark2 in Liverpool

  It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
  
  
  
  I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...

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• AnniD Posts: 12,585

  February 2022 edited February 2022

  Looks like a moth of some kind 
  https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2021/07/hawk-moth-caterpillar-identification/
  

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• wild edges Posts: 10,497

  February 2022 edited February 2022

  I hate caterpillar ID   They're so variable that it can be hard to verify from reliable sources I'm afraid. Just from that photo I'll have a guess at Large Yellow Underwing moth but there's similar ones in that whole group. http://www.wildlifeinsight.com/british-moths/large-yellow-underwing-moth-and-caterpillar-noctua-pronuba/  They're quite a general feeder but probably should be hibernating at this time of year so it might be better to keep it somewhere cool. It won't emerge as a moth until July or even as late as September so you don't want to confuse it into pupating too early. There's some good info on rearing them here. 
  

  If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  

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• jemimarose Posts: 23

  February 2022

  wild edges said:

  I hate caterpillar ID   They're so variable that it can be hard to verify from reliable sources I'm afraid. Just from that photo I'll have a guess at Large Yellow Underwing moth but there's similar ones in that whole group. http://www.wildlifeinsight.com/british-moths/large-yellow-underwing-moth-and-caterpillar-noctua-pronuba/  They're quite a general feeder but probably should be hibernating at this time of year so it might be better to keep it somewhere cool. It won't emerge as a moth until July or even as late as September so you don't want to confuse it into pupating too early. There's some good info on rearing them here. 
  

  
  

  Great - OK, thank you. So should it go outside into the shed? Or where should we put it? 

  
  

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• Alan Clark2 in Liverpool Posts: 2,190

  February 2022 edited February 2022

  I also think it is Large Yellow Underwing. They feed on a wide variety of plants, including dock, cultivated brassicas, marigold foxglove and some grasses. It should emerge around the end of May.
  
  https://www.animal.photos/insect5/cat-lyuw.htm
  
  

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• jemimarose Posts: 23

  February 2022

  Alan Clark2 in Liverpool said:

  I also think it is Large Yellow Underwing. They feed on a wide variety of plants, including dock, cultivated brassicas, marigold foxglove and some grasses. It should emerge around the end of May.
  
  https://www.animal.photos/insect5/cat-lyuw.htm
  
  

  yes, it really does look like that. Should we let it back out into the garden then? 

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• Alan Clark2 in Liverpool Posts: 2,190

  February 2022

  I think it would be best to put it outside on a suitable food plant. The warmth of the house would cause it to develop too early.

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• Fairygirl Posts: 55,117

  February 2022

  Smashing - great to get a positive ID. 
  We get them here, but I've never seen the caterpillars. 
  
  Maybe fancied what you were having for tea @jemimarose
  Great for the kids though. Fingers crossed it does well.

  It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
  
  
  
  I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...

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