All about Insects 2020

Aha,  I think I've worked out how to post pics!

So this lot are on a large potted verbena bonariensis, and I also found some on a lavender plant nearby.  None on my small patch of runner beans or any other plants that I can see at the moment.  

The eggs start off whitish:

Then turn brown:

And hatch into little hairy critters which I imagine drop off into the ground (or top of the plant pot in this case), as I can't see any feeding:

Any ideas as to what they are?  I have a wildlife friendly garden, and even if they are wicked "pests", they get to enjoy whatever I have unmolested (apart from being photographed!)

Thanks Wendy! Hope someone can help identify them.

Can't find anything definite yet ... are you able to pop a couple in a pot with verbena leaves to see what happens ... I imagine if they were sawfly larvae then they'd be munching on the leaves already ... if moth eggs then need some more pics of larvae please!

I'll dig out a suitable container and see what I can do. If they are root feeders I don't want them to starve! Whatever the adult is, it has also laid on lavender (and last year on a common sedge stem) so I have a feeling it's not foliage they are after for the young.

I have a small lavender in a pot, so I'll see if I have something I can enclose that in to observe them.

jpscloud said:

I have a small lavender in a pot, so I'll see if I have something I can enclose that in to observe them.

Sounds good, am particularly keen to see a good clear image of their legs/prolegs!

As luck would have it I put the leaf back at the base of the plant, and even though I retrieved it, there don't seem to be any more eggs hatching. I've got that leaf and another batch I spotted in a specimen pot with some verbena leaves and some lavender leaves, also a couple of flower heads in case that is what they like. I can't find anything that is big enough to enclose the lavender plant yet.

The larvae are so tiny that they would go through the holes in the caterpillar rearing tents I have. The specimen pots are ventilated at the top so I hope that will do to see if some more hatch and I can get some more pics.

The problem is I'm a very poor photographer, and have to take pot luck with the camera on my phone - then enlarge the image to see if I've got anything!

Those two images of the larvae are the best I can get, so far. I'll have another look and see if I can get the one showing the prolegs a bit clearer.

Look forward to more hatches ... I use very fine nylon net to cover my pots, held in place with elastic band! When larvae are that tiny they only need pinholes for ventilation!

Brilliant photos folks.

My insect collection has temporarily been put on ice (metaphorically that is), but I know the bees have been busy, I've been watching them.

There's been a mass hatching in the pot - They do seem to be going for the flower heads rather than the leaves but it's hard to tell at this point, they are very mobile.  

So... pics of prolegs - I never knew how hard it would be to take a picture of the back end of a caterpillar!  These are newly hatched and so tiny, and I'm not good with a phone camera so this is the best I can do so far!