www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

So I've been trying to rear some Painted Lady caterpillars as suggested by the kind people on my previous threadhttp://ukbutterflies.co.uk/phpBB/viewto ... =16&t=9298 I've successfully weaned them off the junk food they came with onto thistle. This evening, while checking up on them, I found that one of them had somehow escaped and was clinging onto the mesh outside the cage. Having brought the cage indoors to inspect, I realised it wasn't an escapee after all, but some other caterpillar wanting to join the party Perhaps he's after the thistle.

Should I let him in? Or could the Painted Ladies and him eat each other? It looks vaguely familiar, but being no expert, I'm struggling to ID it. Please help! Apologies for the poor photo quality

He's about 4-5cm long and approx. 5mm across. I've no idea where he came from, the cage was sitting on the patio by the house wall (this way it's partially out of the rain) and the only vegetation right next to it are some wall daisies.

PS I do hope the Painted ladies pupate soon, they've almost decimated the poor thistle plants, if they keep going for much longer I'll have to start feeding them nettles as I haven't got any more thistle! They're about 4cm now.

That looks like a Large Yellow Underwing moth larva which will not eat the Painted Lady larvae! I think it has a variety of food plants, but I'm not sure if Thistle is one of them.

Cheers,

- Pete

Oh thank you!
It was gone the next time I looked, hopefully off to munch on the daisies