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Caterpillars - friends or foe??

  • 24-08-2015 1:40pm
    #1
    angeldaisy
    Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 2,283 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    I've just been in my gardens wilderness patch, which I left grow wild this year to encourage more wildlife in.
    I found my nettle patch is covered in caterpillars, I'll attach a photo when I can resize it. I was wondering what these are and if they are going to benefit my garden, or just eat everything??


Comments

  • #2
    axe2grind
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 585 ✭✭✭axe2grind


    Caterpillars are larvae of moths & Butterflies of which there are more than 1,000 species in ireland. Most are specific to particular foodplants, so the cats on nettles will not move to other plants.

    Some of our colourful butterflies use nettle as food plant. These are Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and Red admiral.


  • #3
    angeldaisy
    Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 2,283 Mod ✭✭✭✭angeldaisy


    These are the beauties which are currently munching their way through my nettles. I was just curious as to whether they would start on my veggies patch, so thanks for the info.

    DSC_1813.JPG


  • #4
    Bonedigger
    Closed Accounts Posts: 608 ✭✭✭Bonedigger


    The image hasn't uploaded successfully.
    Anyway, as axe2grind has said above already, caterpillars are generally plant specific, so the ones on your nettles are unlikely to then go chew on your brassicas.


  • #5
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    Unless you count damage to vegetables and flowers, all caterpillars are good. Anything natural is good.


  • #6
    recedite
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,992 ✭✭✭✭recedite


    Most likely one of those three types alright. Green/black stripes are the small tortoiseshell, black with white spots underneath are Red admiral.
    I have lots of the jet black ones, Peacocks, on nettles in the garden. The caterpillars sleep in a communal cobweb near the top of the nettle plant when not eating, which protects them from predators. Its well worth setting aside a patch of nettles for them, the butterflies are spectacular.


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