What plant were they on, Lily?

Hi Bamboo, they're on Nasturtiums

Oh, well that's no help then, lol! I suspect they're some kind of moth, but have had no luck finding them yet.

I haven't found these anywhere, but whatever they are, they're not sawfly larvae, if that's any comfort. Best guess is butterfly or moth.

Many thanks for looking M, Any idea how to deal with them? I have a childhood memory of my Mum kneeling (with hair in those metal curlers) picking something like this off gooseberry bushes by hand and putting them in a bucket of water. Don't fancy doing that and anyway......... I don't have any of those curlers!! LOL

I remember those curlers in my ma's hair too, and those long metal ones with teeth. How about picking them off with rubber gloves on?

Funny you should say that Lily, I had the same problem, found loads of them last weekend on my roses, the'yre not there now nor are the leaves ! boom boom !

Nearest I can see Lily is Admiral caterpillar. I had caterpillaritis, never realised there were so many of them. It's a wonder there are any plants left.

I remember those caterpillars on nasturtiums from childhood. Don't know what they are but we used to pick them off by hand. There innards are green & smelly and stain your fingers ;-)

I always assumed that they were cabbage whites as they love all the brassicas!
They also love my cleomes and my sadly departed canary creeper!

they are cabbage white butterfly caterpillars. they eat nasturiums and any members of the brassicas including stocks.

Many thanks to all for your answers. it looks like I shall just have to don the Marigolds tomorrow and pick them all off. Green and smelly doesn't sound too inviting Bulbaholic so thanks for the warning! Fortunately there don't seem to be too many unless they multiply overnight.

Cabbage white(large white actually). Hand pick. Phil J

Pieris brassicae is the latin name for this particular species. if you have a fish pond the fish will enjoy them for a change.