CATERPILLARS

we have had a summer that suites them, plenty of butterflys still around in the north west, and no dout moths.

You haven't filled in what area you live in but if you're in the south like me, there are plenty !

My gardens seem to have had loads this year.
They've ruined my Crinodendron :-((((
Had a good munch on an Eleagnus and tried their hand at a Viburnum too.
Grrrrr.

I live in Newcastle in the north east, ive identified caterpillars from Grey Dagger moths and Large White butterflies, also a small green one thats decimating my aquilegias. Repeatedly!

How annoying.
The ones here aren't touching the perennials, just those shrubs.

I see the small lime green ones on these, i squish them !

We've still got caterpillars in the brassicas... grr!

Does anyone know the butterfly/moth that produces the aquilegia loving caterpillars? They strip the leaves of ours every year.

on ours its a small green one - i tried looking it up but there are about 5 that look identical!

The ones on aquilega are likely to be aquilega sawfly,they are small and green and usually in large numbers. Sawfly can be a specific type depending on the plant.
I also found one dagger moth caterpillar on my climbing rose,I let him be because I'll be giving it a trim anyway.Next year is another matter lol !

Sawflies often have 3 generations per year, so you think they are gone and then you get another batch!

That's the one, Aster, thanks for the id.

whens the last batch|??

When it eventually gets to cold I guess

That's probably right MG.My book says there are 'several' generations between mid spring and early autumn.

Little beasties...found several nibbling at my newly sprouted aquilegia leaves, got them in time thankfully...will keep an eye out for them now....thanks guys and gals....:>)

by the looks of things they time it by how long it takes an aquilegia to grow its leaves back!