A Tiger Moth Caterpillar

Spotted this caterpillar on the underside of a butterbur leaf in the Serpentine Walk. I think that it is the caterpillar of the ruby tiger moth - Phragmatobia fuliginosa. I'm more familiar with the much darker garden tiger moth caterpillar commonly called 'woolly bear', although its numbers seemed to have declined over recent years.

Hairy Yellowish-Green Caterpillar

On the top of the bridge crossing the Keil Burn in Lundin Links noticed this strange looking caterpillar. Not sure of the identification. The only photo in my field guide that it looked remotely like was  a pale tussock moth caterpillar. However, the guide says that it's range does not extend to Scotland. I suppose that, perhaps, with the warm summers it's coming further north.


The hairs of the pale tussock moth caterpillar (Dasychira pudibunda) are an irritant and can cause a painful rash.

Solomon's Seal Sawfly Larvae

There is a small patch of Solomon's Seal in the garden and yesterday I noticed that some of the leaves had been stripped bare. I thought it was possibly slug or snail damage. However, today I noticed some unpleasant looking grey caterpillars on some of the remaining leaves. The internet soon provided the answer. They are not true caterpillars but the larvae of the Solomon's Seal Sawfly (Phymatocera aterrima).

Adult Solomon’s Seal Sawfly are black, 8-9mm long, and emerge in late spring at about the time the host plant is coming into flower. The female uses her saw-like ovipositor to insert rows of eggs into the leaf stems. The larvae initially make small elongate holes in the foliage (as in above photo), but as they increase in size their appetite also increases. The fully grown larvae go into the soil where they overwinter and pupate in the following spring. Defoliated plants survive but may produce reduced growth in the following year. 

Angle Shades Moth

Angle Shades Moth (Phlogophora meticulosa) on a gate hinge.

Hadn't seen this striking looking moth before but next day saw another one on a wall. Seemed more brown in colour than the first one, but maybe it was just the difference in thelight.

Another angle shades resting on a globe thistle head.

I think this is the caterpillar of the angle shades moth. I took the photo in the spring several years ago but couldn't identify it at the time.

Caterpillar Lodger

Walking round the garden, looking at the flowers suddenly noticed this big fat juicy green caterpillar on one of the miniature daffodil trumpets.