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Butterfly ID
Topic Started: Sep 16 2008, 02:56 PM (19,471 Views)
JaySteel
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Wildlife Photographer.
I've found a few caterpillars lately that I've managed to ID on-line, but this one has me stumped! It was in my garden and it's one I've seen plenty of times over the years so it must be fairly common. Does anyone know what it is please?

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JaySteel
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Here's where it was found feeding on this bush.


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Davebutterflyman
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Looks familiar Jason, i'll take a closer look.
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Geoff F
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Going back to butterfly identification books.

I see that PostScript books have the Pocket Guide to Butterflies by Bob Gibbons on special offer at £3.99. Normally £10.00.

Never seen the book myself but the write up sounds OK and you can't really go wrong at that price.

www.psbooks.co.uk

Several other discount offers there at the moment, 2 bird books by Peter Goodfellow, an insect book by Robert Read and a mushroom book by Josephine Bacon; all at £3.99 each.

Also several gardening books. In fact a wide range of discount books about a great many subjects.
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JennyWren
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Just been looking at the write up re the Butterfly book Geoff .... it does look good buy :Cool:
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JaySteel
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Thanks Dave. I have another too. This was found on my garden lawn. The closest I have found online is the Angle Shades Moth - Phlogophora meticulosa. But I'm probably wrong.


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JaySteel
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I have found similar images under the following IDs but they don't quite match unfortunately.

Simyra nervosa? Eilema sp.? Hyphantria cunea?
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africamfan
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Davebutterflyman
Jun 28 2017, 08:46 PM
Nothing worse than lugging heavy field guides around.
Exactly! 🙂
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africamfan
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Geoff F
Jun 28 2017, 08:58 PM

And some of them are such complex definitive works about an entire subject, including all the rare options, that you have no chance of getting an identification without spending a lot of time with a microscope!
I admit to being quite an impatient and lazy person when it comes to things like that.
All I want is simple photographs with the name of the butterfly and where it is likely to be found.
I am the same with Camera's too, I just can't be bothered with all the faffing around with different size lenses. By the time I would have the lense on, the subjects gone! Lol.
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JennyWren
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:wave: Sue , just a bit from your other post .... Thank you for all that information Geoff, that's helpful.
To start with I just want a light weight pocket size book that I can carry in my rucksack or pocket when on one of my walks. I find it's heavy enough with my 2 camera's (one is just a small grab shot) batteries, binoculars etc. So the lighter the books I have the better...........

I very rarely take a book with me as most are heavy to carry around with all the other paraphernalia in the rucksac .. the camera is best for me ( a small digital ) and a note of where the object was found , then i try to ID it when i'm back home . I can search through the books , look online and check the ID threads here . I've the Wildguides , one of Britain's Day-flying moths ( includes some night ) and Britain's Butterflies . I'm sure you'd find those handy :cool2:

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Pam M
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Jason, is the colourful caterpillar a Knotgrass?

http://www.ukleps.org/CommNamesAlphabetical.html
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JaySteel
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Thanks Pam. The colours look right, but my specimen has these little lumps all over its back where the hairs are growing from. It almost looks like it's covered in parasites.


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Pam M
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I see what you mean Jason, just looked up Brown Tail & Gypsy Moth, they have lumps, but still not like yours :reading:
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JaySteel
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Maybe I should just photoshop the lumps away so I can make it look like an easily identifiable species!
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Davebutterflyman
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Agreed on Angle Shades, Jason and Pam is in the right area with Knot Grass, just going to check further.
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JaySteel
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Thanks Dave.
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Davebutterflyman
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Ok Jason.
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JaySteel
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I've finally found out what my caterpillar is. It's a Jersey Tiger Moth (Euplagia quadripunctaria). I just happened to Google the Jersey Tiger Moth as I wanted to see what their caterpillars looked like. And there was my mystery caterpillar! I've just found an adult Jersey Tiger Moth on the side of my house so I can now photograph that on a white background too.
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Eric Hardy
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Beautiful photos Jason, as always, but I can't answer your question. I am sure someone will.

Edit, I see you have already answered the question yourself.
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JaySteel
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Thanks Eric.
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