Garden Carpet Moth Caterpillar

Similar to the garden carpet which tends to be smaller and darker with an incomplete central band.

Garden carpet moth caterpillar.

This moth can resemble the galium carpet which has more pointed forewings and more distinct white areas between darker forewing bands. These little guys are often seen hot footing it across the road in rural areas of eastern north america. A common species throughout the british isles this moth shows a preference for suburban habitats but can be found almost anywhere. The most common clothes moths are the webbing clothes moth easily identified with a golden colour and around half an inch in length and the case bearing moth which can be identified about inch long and their forewings are mottled brown with one large and a few.

The wings vary from white to brownish white the central band varying in width and shade and can also be reduced to blotches near the leading edge. In 1990 and 1991 mr waring released caterpillars of the barberry carpet moth raised in his back garden and now has evidence of two generations breeding successfully at a site in suffolk. Unfortunately getting rid of moths in a garden is a double edged sword. Darker forms of the moth found in the northern isles northern scotland and urban parts of london resemble the striped twin spot carpet but the dark band on the forewings is darker on the leading half in the garden carpet.

They belong to the family of tiger moths arctiidae which includes many attractive and widespread species woolly bears are the larva of the isabella tiger moth pyrrharctia isabella and they feed on a number of common plants found in second growth. Garden carpet moth caterpillar the garden carpet caterpillar is brown with a patterned back and plain light sides. Flies from dusk and into the night. Garden carpet a really common visitor to gardens and allotments the garden carpet isn t the most stand out moth but does have some features that differentiate it from other carpet species.

It is continuously brooded during the summer months from april through to september and adults and larvae could be found in any of these months. It has claspers and legs at the back plus front legs and walks by looping its back then stretching a looper. The spiny caterpillar of the smeared dagger moth feeds on many plants and is among the more common moth caterpillars in the eastern us. Identifying clothes carpet moths webbing clothes moth case bearing clothes moth.

Adult moths are beneficial pollinators of many flowering plants some of which they ate when they were caterpillars. It has a very characteristic jagged yellow line down its side which makes it look quite similar to another spiny caterpillar in this guide the red admiral butterfly. Each kind of caterpillar has different food preferences.