Kitchen Garden Forum

oldherbaceous wrote:I think i have put this in the right thread!

Sorry OH we digressed didn't we?

Dear glallotments, i'm the worlds worst when it comes to digressing, and your digressing was very interesting.

Yes,the extra effort is worth it to have all these little creatures around OH, yesterday I saw an elephant hawkmoth caterpillar, huge, and strong little caterpillars,elephant like saggy stretchy skin too, as I don't dig he will be able to pupate in peace, apparently they bury themselves in the soil. Interesting digressions, and we did answer your queery first - lol.

Hwrê we've finally seen two this morning.

Maybe they came out of my straw hat whilst in Chwilog

Two's company Alan, if they reproduce you could have squillions soon, giggles.....

Lots of ladybirds here too this week, mainly 7 spot and a few 2 spot today, but I've just found the first Harlequin ladybird ever in my garden. I've read that the opinion is to leave them alone as we can't stop them spreading, but that one won't be spreading anywhere apart from squashed on the path. I feel really cruel now.

I first saw them quite a few years ago in the Chelsea Physic Garden and there were far more of them than any of our native kinds, although there were one or two among them.

Have they spread all over the UK now and what is your opinion about them, live and let live, or eradicate?

Nature's Babe wrote::yesterday I saw an elephant hawkmoth caterpillar, huge, and strong little caterpillars

I know the adult moths are spectacular, but what do their caterpillars like to munch?!

Colin_M wrote:

Nature's Babe wrote::yesterday I saw an elephant hawkmoth caterpillar, huge, and strong little caterpillars

I know the adult moths are spectacular, but what do their caterpillars like to munch?!

Rosebay willowherb - so they can't be that bad!

http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?bf=1991

My plot neighbour found a elephant moth caterpillar on her plot last year and freaked out!

Here's the one that freaked her out - it's on the concrete path so had to be moved to somewhere more appropriate - she shouted me to say she had found a little snake!

They are also partial to fuchsias, so watch out!