A pug larva was found looping away on a beech leaf during our work party yesterday at Dancersend Nature Reserve. I think it may be Satyr Pug Eupithecia satyrata. Can a satisfactory identification be made from these photos?
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Mick Jones
A Blog for moth recorders in Bucks, Berks and Oxon
Hello Mick,
ReplyDeleteSatyr Pug does look to be a reasonable call from illustrations I've seen of the larvae, but in the Caterpillar field guide (Henwood, Sterling & Lewington, page 416) it does say for this species "so variable that all must be reared to confirm identity". It is supposed to feed on a wide variety of herbaceous plants so I doubt that includes beech, but maybe it was knocked onto the beech leaf from something else. It is supposed to over-winter as a pupa, so if you still have it and were to give rearing a try, you won't have to worry about food-plant for long!