Caterpillars

Caterpillars on Supermarket produce immediately raise the possibility that they have been imported from a foreign country.

So on receiving images of several caterpillars on supermarket mint from Anneli in West Berkshire I was naturally suspicious but also curious.

A leg count showed two prolegs missing suggesting they were likely to be moths of the Plusiinae family.

Silver Y was a possibility but it was difficult to see certain diagnostic features from the photos

Keen to find out what they were I suggested Anneli reared them through.

Sixteen days later I received an excited email from her with images of’ an amazing moth’

A glance at the images and I understood her excitement.

Two Slender Burnished Brass had emerged!

Slender Burnished Brass are rare migrants to the British Isles from southern Europe and Africa where they are considered a crop pest.

Despite occasional ones arriving most years they are unable to withstand our cold winters

The equally impressive Burnished Brass is a common resident of the British Isles.

My thanks go to Anneli for sharing her photos and rearing them through.