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Hawkmoth caterpillar N Devon (1 Viewer)

Jon Turner

Well-known member
Sadly the Caterpillar isn't in the photo! Sorry. But it is a small Willow tree that has had many of it's leaves pretty much completely eaten. I may of course be completely wrong (it won't be the first time!) but it certainly has a prodigious appetite, and looking up which Hawkmoths eat Willow, I came up with Lime. Anyone care to comment?

Thanks in advance for your help.
 

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Without seeing it we can't assume it's a hawkmoth though Poplar Hawkmoth would feed on sallows as would Puss Moth and many other moth species.
 
Why do you think it's a Hawkmoth Jon if you haven't seen it?


A

Just the amount it had eaten! There must have been at least a dozen of these small branches with most of the leaves decimated. Surely some big beast?!! However, I bow to anyone with the definitive answer (please)!
 
Without seeing it we can't assume it's a hawkmoth though Poplar Hawkmoth would feed on sallows as would Puss Moth and many other moth species.

I'll have another look today - it's in my daughter's garden - to see if it has continued the assault.

Thanks for the pointers though.
 
Perhaps even Willow Sawfly. It looks more like the sort of damage done by their larvae.
 
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Right, took a close look earlier, and a couple of leaves had a number of small holes in them. Turning them over I see a whole lot of tiny green caterpillars! My camera doesn't do close ups of v small things so I'll go down again in a couple of days and try to get a pic when they get a bit bigger.

I therefore wish to withdraw my original bad identification of it being a Hawkmoth!

So, does this help with identification? Or will it have to wait for pictures?

Thanks for the help so far.
 
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Right, took a close look earlier, and a couple of leaves had a number of small holes in them. Turning them over I see a whole lot of tiny green caterpillars! My camera doesn't do close ups of v small things so I'll go down again in a couple of days and try to get a pic when they get a bit bigger.

I therefore wish to withdraw my original bad identification of it being a Hawkmoth!

So, does this help with identification? Or will it have to wait for pictures?

Thanks for the help so far.

Hi Jon
Holes in leaves often indicates beetle larvae damage. Some pictures should help.
Martin
 
Pics at last

First pic is the upper side of the holey leaf. 2nd is the beasties underneath.
 

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Still can't see much detail but I still think it's a sawfly. Some appear to show the classic ? resting posture.
Martin
 
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