Going to the dogs

Mystery Guess Special – Caterpillar conundrum

A mystery caterpillar

I know, I know. I don’t blog for an eternity and then when I do it’s a frothy little Mystery Guess. Still you’d be doing me a huuuge favour if you could flex that grey matter and have a go at this picture quiz. Why? Well, unlike other Mystery Guesses, I don’t know the answer and am relying on your skills of observation to help me identify this strange yellow caterpillar with a purple tail ‘horn’ (I’m not sure if this is the correct technical word for this part of a caterpillar, but think it might be) that I spotted while enjoying a bracing walk through the woodland at Cholmondeley Castle Gardens in Cheshire yesterday. I’ve never seen a creature quite like it and despite numerous flicks through Michael Chinery’s Complete British Insects, still can’t put a name to it. So, Mystery Guessers, do you know what type of caterpillar this is? I’ll announce a winner once I’ve had a chance to verify its name with my crack team of Leptidopterists. Over to you…

Cholmondeley Castle Gardens

Simon Suter

October 5th, 2010 at 10:27 am · Reply

Pale Tussock page 290 Chinery (light form)also
http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=1095

Victoria

October 5th, 2010 at 10:49 am · Reply

Simon Suter got there first, but yes – Pale Tussock, Calliteara pudibunda.

JamesA-S

October 5th, 2010 at 6:06 pm · Reply

I was just going to say that………

Or else I was going to suggest Nigel Colborn who knows everything , as, apparently, do Mr Suter and madam Victoria.
Good for them.

Honestly, you only Blog when you want something. Bloody disgrace.

Martyn

October 6th, 2010 at 8:15 am · Reply

Simon. I’ve run your answer past some of our leading insect experts who have verified that the little yellow fellow is definitely a pale tussock. So, that just leaves me to say CONGRATULATIONS…you are a Mystery Guess winner! Sadly a prize will not be winging its way to you, but do give yourself a pat on the back.

October 6th, 2010 at 3:19 pm · Reply

..a pat on the back means more to me than any prize ever could.