Garden Carpet Moth Caterpillar

A common species throughout the british isles this moth shows a preference for suburban habitats but can be found almost anywhere.

Garden carpet moth caterpillar.

Caterpillars eat leaves flowers and fruits of various crops. They belong to the family of tiger moths arctiidae which includes many attractive and widespread species woolly bears are the larva of the isabella tiger moth pyrrharctia isabella and they feed on a number of common plants found in second growth. Identifying clothes carpet moths webbing clothes moth case bearing clothes moth. These little guys are often seen hot footing it across the road in rural areas of eastern north america.

Unfortunately getting rid of moths in a garden is a double edged sword. It has claspers and legs at the back plus front legs and walks by looping its back then stretching a looper. Each kind of caterpillar has different food preferences. Flies from dusk and into the night.

This moth can resemble the galium carpet which has more pointed forewings and more distinct white areas between darker forewing bands. In 1990 and 1991 mr waring released caterpillars of the barberry carpet moth raised in his back garden and now has evidence of two generations breeding successfully at a site in suffolk. Mint moth caterpillars love munching on mint as they grow while the adults like resting on mint plants during the day hence this moths name. Adult moths are beneficial pollinators of many flowering plants some of which they ate when they were caterpillars.

Can be easily disturbed from vegetation during the day from grassy ditches and the edges of woodland rides. The wings vary from white to brownish white the central band varying in width and shade and can also be reduced to blotches near the leading edge. Darker forms of the moth found in the northern isles northern scotland and urban parts of london resemble the striped twin spot carpet but the dark band on the forewings is darker on the leading half in the garden carpet. The most common clothes moths are the webbing clothes moth easily identified with a golden colour and around half an inch in length and the case bearing moth which can be identified about inch long and their forewings are mottled brown with one large and a few.

Similar to the garden carpet which tends to be smaller and darker with an incomplete central band. It is continuously brooded during the summer months from april through to september and adults and larvae could be found in any of these months. Garden carpet a really common visitor to gardens and allotments the garden carpet isn t the most stand out moth but does have some features that differentiate it from other carpet species.