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Caterpillar ID
Dovefromabove
Posts: 88,129
This little chap is happily munching my new rose bush leaves - there are plenty so I don't think that's going to be a problem - I think it might be the caterpillar of the Vapourer moth.
Can anyone confirm this please?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
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No idea what it is - but cute!
the google pics of vapourer moth caterpillar show 4 yellow marks on the back of the caterpillar which are tufts of hairs
If you click and zoom on my pic you'll see that 'my' caterpillar has 4 yellow hairy spots - two are very bright and two are quite dull - I wonder whether they will brighten
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
That's a remarkably healthy-looking leaf it's on, Dove.
My first thought too Steve
Couldn't see any other caterpillar exactly like this so suspect Dove is right. Wonder if the spots do change as they develop/age. Interesting.
Hi Dove, It's definitely a vapourer caterpillar, not sure why it has two darker yellow spots, but they do vary a bit, and they can change colour when they are starting to pupate. I get them in my garden, rather handsome looking. They eat lots of things so won't gobble up all your rose.
Any suggestions about what else it might like to eat - that's a rather precious rose only planted this year - do you think it might like forsythia? Got plenty of that.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I found mine of a number of shrubs and plants last year, laurel and blueberries that I can remember. I would pick him/her up gently with a leaf and put on your forsythia. It will soon wander off to find something else if it doesn't like that.