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The year of the caterpillar

Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2017 9:59 am
by Tony Hague
I've seen lots of people commenting on the butterflies this year, the unfortunate side of this is they have produced lots of caterpillars ! My particular unexpected problem is the appearance of a caterpillar which is eating its way through my tomatoes in the greenhouse. Fruit, leaves, all are going into holes. Now, I've never had this before. peppers and chillies yes, but tomatoes are toxic enough to keep most things off, I thought. The ones I've found are a khaki brown, about an inch long. Anyone know what I have ?

I'm thinking to give up on the tomatoes and rip them out. The best fruit are over, what fruit is left are masses of cherries Rosella and Golden Crown. These were new varieties for me this year, and I like neither of them. Rosella has tasty but uselessly tiny fruit that spilt far to easily. Golden crown tastes just wierd. Very sweet and no balancing acidity. Might be able to use them up in a hot sauce or ketchup of some sort where the vinegar will help to balance the flavour.

Re: The year of the caterpillar

Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2017 11:34 am
by oldherbaceous
A new one on me, Tony, will be interesting to see if anyone knows!

Re: The year of the caterpillar

Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2017 12:00 pm
by tigerburnie
Could be cabbage moth, they are around now and eat anything.

Re: The year of the caterpillar

Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2017 6:46 pm
by retropants
Or a very hungry?

Re: The year of the caterpillar

Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2017 10:02 pm
by Monika
Tony, I think it's the caterpillar of the tomato moth or Bright-line Brown-eye Lacanobia oleracea. If you google the Latin name, there are lots of photos and other info on it!

Re: The year of the caterpillar

Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 9:21 am
by Pa Snip
Here's one a fellow plot holder found on his plot. No idea what it is but looks vicious. Figured the brown spike was the defence system since the its bright yellow colour makes it stand out like a sore thumb

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DSC_687402.jpg (108.9 KiB) Viewed 4273 times

Re: The year of the caterpillar

Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 7:11 pm
by Monika
Pa Snip, the caterpillar is that of the pale tussock moth. No danger to the vegetable gardener, it eats mainly tree leaves like birch.

Re: The year of the caterpillar

Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 9:17 pm
by Pa Snip
Monika wrote:Pa Snip, the caterpillar is that of the pale tussock moth. No danger to the vegetable gardener, it eats mainly tree leaves like birch.


Thanks Monika I will pass that info on to the guy who found it on his plot