Green stripey caterpillar
Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2015 8:43 pm
Hello, I'm far from an expert, just have developed an interest in insects, as long as not too tiny or difficult to identify!
Last Sunday I encountered a large caterpillar, about an inch long, green body, with black bands (horizontal). On the bands were yellow/orange spots. It was on a path and at first I thought had been partly crushed because it seemed to be oozing fluid. But on closer inspection this looked like a load of greenish jelly, like a lot of eggs (but caterpillars don't lay eggs, I know that much!). It seemed to be coming out of either front or back end (stupidly I didn't look closely enough) and the caterpillar itself looked intact. I wasn't able to take a photograph. Looking at photographs it most resembles a swallowtail but I know it can't be that because of the location. I read on this site that there are some migrant swallowtails but that seems unlikely as well. Photographs of emperor moths are also very similar, especially the bands, but as far as I recall it wasn't at all hairy (but again I may not have looked hard enough).
The location was Walthamstow Marshes, NE London. The habitat where it was is mostly long grasses, there is also vetch, michaelmas daisies, brambles, reeds, purple loose strife, birds foot trefoil, thistles, as well as others. There are small heath butterflies, blues, meadow browns, and others that flit around and don't rest. I've never seen anything like an emperor moth (now knowing what they look like) but maybe it is a night flyer.
Was it most likely an emperor? And what about the strange oozy stuff?
Regards
Mischa
Last Sunday I encountered a large caterpillar, about an inch long, green body, with black bands (horizontal). On the bands were yellow/orange spots. It was on a path and at first I thought had been partly crushed because it seemed to be oozing fluid. But on closer inspection this looked like a load of greenish jelly, like a lot of eggs (but caterpillars don't lay eggs, I know that much!). It seemed to be coming out of either front or back end (stupidly I didn't look closely enough) and the caterpillar itself looked intact. I wasn't able to take a photograph. Looking at photographs it most resembles a swallowtail but I know it can't be that because of the location. I read on this site that there are some migrant swallowtails but that seems unlikely as well. Photographs of emperor moths are also very similar, especially the bands, but as far as I recall it wasn't at all hairy (but again I may not have looked hard enough).
The location was Walthamstow Marshes, NE London. The habitat where it was is mostly long grasses, there is also vetch, michaelmas daisies, brambles, reeds, purple loose strife, birds foot trefoil, thistles, as well as others. There are small heath butterflies, blues, meadow browns, and others that flit around and don't rest. I've never seen anything like an emperor moth (now knowing what they look like) but maybe it is a night flyer.
Was it most likely an emperor? And what about the strange oozy stuff?
Regards
Mischa