All about Insects 2019

lol Nige, I wasn't totally sure so thank you for the correct ID, I think we have a few different species of bee/hoverfly in the garden and bees with buff or white on their rump which were buzzing around the Pieris shrubs. In the past I've seen shield bugs, beetles or various sorts, earth worms and all manner of other insects/creepy-crawlies as well as the vole and birdlife so I'd need the Encyclopaedia Britannica on wildlife/insects to stand a chance at IDing most of them, this garden would be a great place for the David Attenborough's or Nigels of the world lol

Larvae and pupae are beyond me … it's bad enough when they're adults!

Did you find it on or near tomatoes MC?

It found me. It was on my asthma inhaler when I went to use it. The inhaler was in my pocket, so the critter must have dropped in at some point. The tomato plants are still tiny, so it wouldn't have fallen in from them. I was leaning into some raspberries for a while as I was tying them back. It could have fallen in then. I don't recall being close to any other plants.

Is it fully extended? Could you get a pic of it's legs?

I didn't take a photo of its underside. The legs were like little stumps, if that. I let it go back into the garden. If I find another one I'll take more pics. It moved like a caterpillar rather than a woodlouse. A flowing movement rather than walking.

The nearest I have found is a Tomato Hornworm but not convinced unless it was a young'un, they do have short stumpy legs & it's horn may not be fully developed... Have sent pic to Steve @ wildlifeinsights for ID, will let you know!

Check your tomatoes & potatoes!

This was a tiny thing. Half a centimetre long maybe. It looked like a tiny leaf bud. I wasn't sure it was even a living thing until it started to move.

So small ... wish you'd kept it as no idea on that one & driving me nuts trying to find out! Lol