Allotments 4 All

Saw this, just about, on the leaf of my crocosmia.  No idea what it is.  :-\

And then this catterpillar which has made a meal of one of my verbascum plants.

Can't help with the first but the second is mullein moth.

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0904/mullein_moth.asp

Get rid of it!

I know I should probably squish it, and the other few I found, but I don't really mind.  I have several clumps of verbascum and the others are all clear, and the kids love watching the caterpillars do their thing, so, against all odds, it can keep it's home....for now....

i have had them caterpillars on my budliea and they have made a right mess of it so picked the leaves of they were on and throw them over the fence into the wilderness , over grown loading bay at the back of tescos, i cant seem to bring my self to kill any insects even if they are pests ,then only one i kill is the red Lilly beetle i throw them in the pond for the fish

Emma,  looked up my Wildlife book and the Butterfly is a Moth.  a Large Emerald.  It says  ' The emeralds are a group of attractive pale green moths, one of which, the ESSEX Emerald is now officially in danger of extinction.  The Large Emerald is widespread and frequent throughout Britain and Ireland, except for the N parts of Scotland.  It flies in June and July and the caterpillars feed on birch, beech and Hazel'

wonder if you have the almost extinct Essex Emerald


:D :D :D :D :D :D

oooooooooooooo Carol!  How exciting.  It was only small, as you can see from the pic, only as wide as the crocosmia leaf!  The Essex Emerald.....sounds like a boat!  ;D

Okay, first pic is a large emerald - different from mine.  But the second pic is an essex emerald, also slightly different, however, the essex does have the line around the outside of the wings, like mine, so maybe, just maybe!

 :) Hi Ej them bugs sure do like you!!

I think it is a blotched emerald moth heres a pic.



They seem to have variations on their markings.

oh.  well....yes...that looks like it.  And there was me all excited about having the almost extinct Essex Emerald residing in my garden.  Oh well, still a good looking critter!  ;D

Hi EJ, I'd say that your moth looks more like a Sussex Emerald (Thalera fimbrialis) to me. There's a good picture here http://www.arkive.org/species/ARK/invertebrates_terrestrial_and_freshwater/Thalera_fimbrialis/

Yes it could be, we need male/female pics!! Moths and butterflies do seem, like birds, to have differences in colouration between sexes.

So it does!  Well what was it doing in Essex?  Couldn't see it's passport.  ;D  Haven't seen many butterflies lately, but moths aplenty!

Quote from: EJ - Emma Jane on June 23, 2005, 23:05:17
So it does! Well what was it doing in Essex? Couldn't see it's passport. ;D Haven't seen many butterflies lately, but moths aplenty!

;D Range for Sussex Emerald is most of Europe except far north but confined to south coast of Britain.