www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Photo:
Friday 9th September 2023

My very limited knowledge of these things, Philip, leads me to suggest a geometrid moth of some kind.

Cheers,

Dave

Thanks Dave,
I recorded Holly blue ovipositing on Ivy flowers between 11th and 30th August.
Thanks for the moth pointer.
Here were two more, of I think, the same species, but later instar.
This might aid ID:
I was a newbie, surveying for Holly blue (HB) larvae. Photos I had seen, HB looked shorter. Interesting seasonal timing for myself. I had not seen a Holly blue butterfly since August 30th, so I guessed the early September heat, might race an HB life cycle to butterfly, before the second half of Autumn.
Open Ivy flowers in full sun, about seasonally now, might have attracted many hunting Vespula vulgaris wasps which were many people’s pests, taking advantage of others, with no significant property management plan, other than removing female native Ivy, which I thought, was a much bigger, habitat loss mistake.

Possible snap
No idea what it is but took a photo today similar to your first while looking for Holly Blue caterpillars Cant see legs on mine so wasn't even sure was a caterpillar

Cats likely to be Yellow barred Brindle Acasis viretata.

Thank you,
A nice link here I found, also mentioned the above moth:
https://butterfly-conservation.org/news ... gardener-2