Hello and larva ID if possible

[DaveBasham]

Hello, folks.

David from Ipswich here.

I've got a caterpillar that was presented to me at the weekend for ID. I had to say that I didn't know then, and after consulting my Thomas & Lewington and the species accounts on here, that I don't still really. Rather than put up my suspicions first, and the evidence such as it is, I'd like to see what you all think. I will say now that it is from my allotment field in the middle of Ipswich UK. Anyone recognise this chap?

[Chris Speke]

Looks like a ' Blue ' larva.

[Vince Massimo]

Hi David

I was hoping that someone would have suggested something by now, because I'm stumped. It looks very much like a pale form of a White-letter Hairstreak larva, but it's too late in the season to expect to see such a thing.
Second opinions welcomed

Vince

[bugboy]

All I would venture would be Lycid (obviously). Any clues as to habitat or possible foodplants to help us?

[Essex Bertie]

My natural instinct was like you Vince - White-letter Hairstreak, and it was a cold, late spring. However, the allotment habitat might point to Holly Blue on probability, and the larvae are variable as they aren't restricted to the well-documented Holly and ivy. I've heard of a red larvae found in a raspberry that was reared through to Holly Blue adult. And I've heard of them egg laying on lucerne, pyracantha, and today, on Mugwort!

[DaveBasham]

Thanks everyone.

Yes my initial reaction was to think Lycaenidae, and I still do.

We are lucky enough to have Holly Blue, Common Blue and Green Hairstreak on the allotment and this chap was found on some Loganberry underneath a Buckthorn tree and about 3m from my Birdsfoot Trefoil patch. About 7m from a small Holly bush.

A reasonably mature larva in the first week of July doesn't rule any of the above out.

I'm not quite sure why but my instinct says Hairstreak, so Green Hairstreak. But is it really???

It was presented to me on a loganberry so perhaps it was feeding on that. I must admit that at the time I thought the loganberry was incidental but maybe it wasn't and Essex Bertie is right with Holly Blue - perhaps it was on the dessert course before putting it's feet up and pupating!

[Padfield]

My initial instinct was green hairstreak, but like Vince I decided to wait until someone else had a go. It does seem very pale and the lateral line is not very visible but the context seems to fit.

Guy

[Vince Massimo]

I have just convinced myself that it's a (pale) Green Hairstreak larva

Vince

[DaveBasham]

Well thanks a lot for everyone's thoughts. The consensus is that it's probably Green Hairstreak.

With the benefit of hindsight it would have been interesting to have kept hold of it to rear it through, although having never done anything like that the thought is a little bit daunting I must admit, especially for GH.

Cheers for now,

David.