Slightly O/T - Another for the entomologists
 

"Dave Poole" wrote in message
...


Of less interest, I can't remember ever seeing so many green crickets
as this year. Most are recently emerged and are everywhere in the
garden. Usually see several a week at this time of year and hear far
more at night, but anything up to 20 a day are popping up all over the
place and if I open the outside door to the utility room with the
light on, it doesn't take long before half a dozen or so fly inside.


yes we've had a few of those and I can hardly ever recall seeing them
before.
About an inch long and a *very* vivid green colour.

--
Tumbleweed

email replies not necessary but to contact use;
tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com

The message
from Dave Poole contains these words:


Of less interest, I can't remember ever seeing so many green crickets
as this year. Most are recently emerged and are everywhere in the
garden. Usually see several a week at this time of year and hear far
more at night, but anything up to 20 a day are popping up all over the
place and if I open the outside door to the utility room with the
light on, it doesn't take long before half a dozen or so fly inside.

Probably the result of climate change, just be glad none of those
locusts blew/flew over from France :-)

Janet.

The message
from "Tumbleweed" contains these words:
"Dave Poole" wrote in message
...


Of less interest, I can't remember ever seeing so many green crickets
as this year. Most are recently emerged and are everywhere in the
garden. Usually see several a week at this time of year and hear far
more at night, but anything up to 20 a day are popping up all over the
place and if I open the outside door to the utility room with the
light on, it doesn't take long before half a dozen or so fly inside.


yes we've had a few of those and I can hardly ever recall seeing them
before.
About an inch long and a *very* vivid green colour.

They're quite common in my garden too. And I've seen one brown one with
a go-faster green stripe.

--
Rusty
Emus to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

On 11/8/05 15:12, in article ,
"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote:

The message
from "Tumbleweed" contains these words:
"Dave Poole" wrote in message
...


Of less interest, I can't remember ever seeing so many green crickets
as this year. Most are recently emerged and are everywhere in the
garden. Usually see several a week at this time of year and hear far
more at night, but anything up to 20 a day are popping up all over the
place and if I open the outside door to the utility room with the
light on, it doesn't take long before half a dozen or so fly inside.


yes we've had a few of those and I can hardly ever recall seeing them
before.
About an inch long and a *very* vivid green colour.

They're quite common in my garden too. And I've seen one brown one with
a go-faster green stripe.

And here's another ID question - walking the dogs on Dartmoor this afternoon
(near the Commandment Stones, for those that know the area) we saw a very
large caterpillar that was quite a bright green with pairs of yellow spots
regularly spaced on its body. It was about 3 or 4" long and rather fat. I
can't say any more than that because at that point another dog appeared and
ours had to be restrained rather hastily!
The area is grassy with heather, gorse and a very small yellow flowered
something growing there. There are a few trees around but very few.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

The message k
from Sacha contains these words:

And here's another ID question - walking the dogs on Dartmoor this afternoon
(near the Commandment Stones, for those that know the area) we saw a very
large caterpillar that was quite a bright green with pairs of yellow spots
regularly spaced on its body. It was about 3 or 4" long and rather fat. I
can't say any more than that because at that point another dog appeared and
ours had to be restrained rather hastily!
The area is grassy with heather, gorse and a very small yellow flowered
something growing there. There are a few trees around but very few.

I can't find anything which matches the description in the Diamond
Handguide - and that covers mainland Europe too.

--
Rusty
Emus to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
k...
The message k
from Sacha contains these words:

And here's another ID question - walking the dogs on Dartmoor this
afternoon
(near the Commandment Stones, for those that know the area) we saw a very
large caterpillar that was quite a bright green with pairs of yellow
spots
regularly spaced on its body. It was about 3 or 4" long and rather fat.
I
can't say any more than that because at that point another dog appeared
and
ours had to be restrained rather hastily!
The area is grassy with heather, gorse and a very small yellow flowered
something growing there. There are a few trees around but very few.

I can't find anything which matches the description in the Diamond
Handguide - and that covers mainland Europe too.


http://www.whatsthiscaterpillar.co.uk/ ?

--
Tumbleweed

email replies not necessary but to contact use;
tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com

On 11/8/05 19:53, in article , "Tumbleweed"
wrote:


"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
k...
The message k
from Sacha contains these words:

And here's another ID question - walking the dogs on Dartmoor this
afternoon
(near the Commandment Stones, for those that know the area) we saw a very
large caterpillar that was quite a bright green with pairs of yellow
spots
regularly spaced on its body. It was about 3 or 4" long and rather fat.
I
can't say any more than that because at that point another dog appeared
and
ours had to be restrained rather hastily!
The area is grassy with heather, gorse and a very small yellow flowered
something growing there. There are a few trees around but very few.

I can't find anything which matches the description in the Diamond
Handguide - and that covers mainland Europe too.


http://www.whatsthiscaterpillar.co.uk/ ?

No, sorry. None of those. I remember saying to Ray that this looked like
something out of Alice in Wonderland because it was so large and its
colouring so vivid, garish even.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

In article , Sacha
writes
On 11/8/05 19:53, in article , "Tumbleweed"
wrote:


"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
k...
The message k
from Sacha contains these words:

And here's another ID question - walking the dogs on Dartmoor this
afternoon
(near the Commandment Stones, for those that know the area) we saw a very
large caterpillar that was quite a bright green with pairs of yellow
spots
regularly spaced on its body. It was about 3 or 4" long and rather fat.
I
can't say any more than that because at that point another dog appeared
and
ours had to be restrained rather hastily!
The area is grassy with heather, gorse and a very small yellow flowered
something growing there. There are a few trees around but very few.

I can't find anything which matches the description in the Diamond
Handguide - and that covers mainland Europe too.


http://www.whatsthiscaterpillar.co.uk/ ?

No, sorry. None of those. I remember saying to Ray that this looked like
something out of Alice in Wonderland because it was so large and its
colouring so vivid, garish even.

Emperor moth, 60 mm, fat, bright green, black stripes running around at
intervals with very conspicuous yellow spots on them, feeds on heather?
I know that's ot 3-4inches, but it's big for a caterpillar.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

On 12/8/05 20:19, in article , "Kay"
wrote:

In article , Sacha
writes
snip
No, sorry. None of those. I remember saying to Ray that this looked like
something out of Alice in Wonderland because it was so large and its
colouring so vivid, garish even.

Emperor moth, 60 mm, fat, bright green, black stripes running around at
intervals with very conspicuous yellow spots on them, feeds on heather?
I know that's ot 3-4inches, but it's big for a caterpillar.

Could be, maybe! I'd think that the 'feeds on heather' is a good indicator.
But the one we saw was definitely much longer, very fat (Ray reckons his
middle finger's circumference) and the yellow spots were not only very
yellow but in pairs at regular intervals up and across the body from what I
recall. The illustration I Googled of an Emperor Moth shows the spots as not
very yellow and not in pairs.
If I get the chance I might go up there again on Sunday and take another
look in that area. What irks me now is that I had my mobile with me and it
takes photos. I was so dog-occupied at the time that I didn't think of it.
And the other day in one of the poly tunnels two people saw another small,
brown caterpillar exactly imitating a twig. As they touched it, it sort of
reared up and took on another 'twig shape'.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

"Sacha" wrote in message
.uk...

snip

And the other day in one of the poly tunnels two people saw another
small,
brown caterpillar exactly imitating a twig. As they touched it, it
sort of
reared up and took on another 'twig shape'.

A lot of the carpet moth caterpillars (and others) adopt that
defensive camouflage technique - usually the 'looper' caterpillars,
the ones with six little legs up front and only two pairs at the rear
end.

It's a pretty effective dodge, because they are not often seen.

--
ned

http://www.bugsandweeds.co.uk
last update 08.08.2005

On 13/8/05 1:14, in article , "ned"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
.uk...

snip

And the other day in one of the poly tunnels two people saw another
small,
brown caterpillar exactly imitating a twig. As they touched it, it
sort of
reared up and took on another 'twig shape'.

A lot of the carpet moth caterpillars (and others) adopt that
defensive camouflage technique - usually the 'looper' caterpillars,
the ones with six little legs up front and only two pairs at the rear
end.

It's a pretty effective dodge, because they are not often seen.

That's pretty much what they said. I don't know how they spotted it but
they did say the camouflage was amazingly effective.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

The message k
from Sacha contains these words:

If I get the chance I might go up there again on Sunday and take another
look in that area. What irks me now is that I had my mobile with me and it
takes photos. I was so dog-occupied at the time that I didn't think of it.


I'll keep my fingers crossed.

And the other day in one of the poly tunnels two people saw another small,
brown caterpillar exactly imitating a twig. As they touched it, it sort of
reared up and took on another 'twig shape'.

That's probably one of the Geometridae - lots of them, and many are very
common.

--
Rusty
Emus to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

On 13/8/05 14:49, in article ,
"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote:

The message k
from Sacha contains these words:

If I get the chance I might go up there again on Sunday and take another
look in that area. What irks me now is that I had my mobile with me and it
takes photos. I was so dog-occupied at the time that I didn't think of it.


I'll keep my fingers crossed.

And the other day in one of the poly tunnels two people saw another small,
brown caterpillar exactly imitating a twig. As they touched it, it sort of
reared up and took on another 'twig shape'.

That's probably one of the Geometridae - lots of them, and many are very
common.

I didn't get up to the moor on Sunday but I did get the Collins books -
Emperor Moth it is - or as sure as I can be.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

The message k
from Sacha contains these words:

I didn't get up to the moor on Sunday but I did get the Collins books -
Emperor Moth it is - or as sure as I can be.

Have a look at the spurge hawk moth patterkiller, that has light (but
not bright yellow) pairs of spots on each segment.

It's not common, and is classed as a 'visitor'.

--
Rusty
Emus to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

On 17/8/05 16:01, in article ,
"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote:

The message k
from Sacha contains these words:

I didn't get up to the moor on Sunday but I did get the Collins books -
Emperor Moth it is - or as sure as I can be.

Have a look at the spurge hawk moth patterkiller, that has light (but
not bright yellow) pairs of spots on each segment.

It's not common, and is classed as a 'visitor'.

I can only find that on Google images as one picture which won't enlarge but
seems to be of a pear! If I type in spurge caterpillar, I get a critter
that's got reddish bits and white spots - nothing bright green to the body
or yellow to the spots.
--

Sacha
(remove the weeds for email)