A bad caterpillar

Discussion in 'Plant Pests, Diseases and Weeds' started by glendann, May 13, 2010.

  1. glendann

    glendann Official Garden Angel

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    I hope I'm in the right forum.I hope toni can help if others cannot.This cat is eating everything in sight including the blooms.I have very few blooms and this cat tears right into them.Anyone got a recipe I can use to get rid of them?
    He was on my Mums yesterday.He doesn't care if its a weed or a prizes flower.



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    Another of the cat. ( photo / image / picture from glendann's Garden )



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    Wooley Bear of some kind. ( photo / image / picture from glendann's Garden )

    He is chewing on my Amarylis



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    Hunk out of my peppermint Amarylis ( photo / image / picture from glendann's Garden )
     
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  3. eileen

    eileen Resident Taxonomist Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    It looks like some sort of Tiger Moth caterpillar Glenda. I hope he hasn't any little friends chomping on your plants as well!! :eek:
     
  4. dooley

    dooley Super Garden Turtle

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    I've noticed them all up and down the road on weeds and stuff when I go to feed the dogs. So, far they aren't on my plants. Maybe they are going to finish Glenda's first. dooley
     
  5. toni

    toni Mistress of Garden Junque Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden_tiger_moth
    Click on the caterpillar photo down the page to see a closeup.
    It does eat just about anything and everything. In the U.K. it has been in decline and is on the Biodiversity Action Plan for plants and critters that need protection and conservation.

    It is in the Woolybear Family Arctiidae but that's where the relationship ends....different Genus and Species.
     



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  6. kuntrygal

    kuntrygal Texas Rose

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    Glenda...looks like the pliers nearby should do the trick. :D I hope you can get rid of it (them) before they do anymore damage. Then on to Dooley's! Just keep them in your county... :twisted:
     
  7. mart

    mart Strong Ash

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    Could be a tiger swallowtail !! They usually hit about this time of year !! One ate my tulip tree last year !! But the tree put out new leaves and the butterfly is so pretty I couldn`t kill it !!
     
  8. toni

    toni Mistress of Garden Junque Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    Swallowtail caterpillars are smooth and really funky looking ;)
    http://www.butterflygardeningandconserv ... /tiger.php
     
  9. mart

    mart Strong Ash

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    You are right,,wrong color !! I had forgotten til I looked the pics up that they are green with the eye dots !! Oh well, it was a guess anyway !!
     
  10. glendann

    glendann Official Garden Angel

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    Thats it toni .I'm not sure why they would be protected.We have plenty to go around for the world.Watch out Dooley .We found them on my little tomatos.They have been on all my plants.
     
  11. toni

    toni Mistress of Garden Junque Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    It doesn't appear that they are protected in the U.S. so far as I know that is only in the U.K.
     
  12. KK Ng

    KK Ng Hardy Maple

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    Yikes!!! Whatever it is I hate them :twisted: . Last year my luffa was attacked by something like this kind of critter and I had to destroy my luffa. There were like thousands of them!!

    I fully agree with kuntrygal, use the PLIERS!!! :) Yes squash them!! :twisted:
     

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