Help Identifying Caterpillar

[D D]

This is my first time using this site - very impressive.

I need help with two caterpillars (?) I found. They both seem to be the same kind. Sorry about quality of second photo.

They were both found resting on common nettles.

hope you can help!

D D

[Dave McCormick]

first one may be a sawfly larvae or somesort of fly larvae, don't think its any moth or butterfly caterpillar. May be wrong though

[D D]

Thanks for quick reply

Presumed it was moth / butterfly caterpillar - just reminds me of shape of hairstreak larvae?

Will try searching for pics of sawfly larvae...

Thanks

[Piers]

It's the larva of a hoverfly busy searching for aphids...

Felix.

[D D]

Great that's cleared up - I really wouldn't have guessed it!

Thanks Felix

[Gruditch]

Got home from work today, and found this caterpillar walking up my arm. Any chance of an ID, so I can pop it back on the appropriate food plant tomorrow. At a guess it may of come off a willow .

Gruditch

[Martin]

Hi Gary,
That is Blair's Shoulder Knot - Lithophane leautiri, and the foodplant is Lawson's cypress and related trees. (I love books! )

Martin.

[Gruditch]

Cheers Martin, I use a tractor-mower at this place, and I have to duck under a willow and a conifer, so I guessed it had to have come from one of the two, but I would have put my money on the willow.

Gruditch