This caterpillar attached itself to me while walking through Tackley Heath amongst old oaks, blackthorn and hazel with lots of lichen and mosses. This was 1st June.
From Jim Porter's "Caterpillars of the British Isles" looks like Brussels Lace. I know that would be unusual in Oxfordshire?
Grateful for help and information.
Alan Diver
Tackley
Alan, I don't live in Oxon, but I suspect Brussells Lace would be a surprise there. My money is on Twin-spotted Quaker.
ReplyDeleteThanks Andrew. I'm very much out of my depth here. I've looked at the good number of Twin-spotted quaker caterpillars on the Norfolk moth site. They all have a thickish black band on the side rather than a black line as in my specimen. How much variety is shown by these caterpillars? Alan
ReplyDeleteI'm no expert, But I've raised a single caterpillar this year and it has shown somewhat different markings each instar. I've posted photos of it on the Moth Dissection Group site (although the last one, which looks very much like your's, hasn't been displayed yet).
ReplyDeleteMany thanks Andrew. Alan
ReplyDelete