Caterpillars in December

[Marb67]

Well it's nearly the end of Jan and still there are caterpillars ravaging my greens. One was huge ! It's unbelievable how they are still here. I like the seasons to be in their proper place. I hate all this change. A lovely crisp frost for a few days is what we need.

[Bill HH]

I can't get my head round this, there are no butterflies and haven's been for a while, so how old are these caterpillars and why haven't they pupated? Are they from moths? Some that I have found look remarkably like the hawk moth caterpillars I had on my tomatoes in the summer.

[Nicos]

On Saturday I must have fed about 20 huge caterpillars to the chooks.

* makes mental note to look them up on an ID site for future reference ( I might regret chucking a rare species or something.)

[veggiechicken]

Can you post a photo of these caterpillars Marb? It would help to identify them

[PyreneesPlot]

I'm still picking cabbage white caterpillars off my greens - they seem to be thriving in this wet weather. Foot of snow needed please!

Found a newt bumbling around yesterday.

[WendyC]

Presumably you are picking off as many caterpillars as you can rather than letting them get on with it. Am puzzled in the same way as Bill, but I guess as it is cooler, their development has slowed but not enough cold to finish them off, so they are still hanging around. How many plants do you have?

[Marb67]

just a few that are not growing very fast because of lack of sunlight in winter (and now being eaten)

[Penellype]

Found this one on my strawberries today:



I don't think this is a cabbage white, although its about the same size and colour. It has a paler stripe down the side, which you can see in this photo if you zoom in. Its also slightly pointed at the back, and I think cabbage whites are rounder. The black spots on its back are mud.

I think this is some sort of moth caterpillar, but I haven't a clue which moth.