They appear from spring to autumn and leave clear signs of feeding: green caterpillars are not welcome guests in the garden. But from the living beings develop the most diverse species. They all have a more or less limited food spectrum.

The caterpillar of the swallowtail is unmistakable

Table of Contents

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  1. the essentials in brief
  2. Identify green caterpillars
  3. activity periods
  4. Fight green caterpillars?
  5. frequently asked Questions

    6. the essentials in brief

    • The following moth species have green caterpillars: white butterflies, hawk moths, winter moths, noble butterflies and knight butterflies.
    • Many green caterpillars damage crops and trees such as the box tree moth, cabbage white or winter moth.
    • Protective nets can protect the vegetable garden or bushes and trees from hungry green caterpillars.

    Identify green caterpillars

    Nature doesn't exactly make it easy for the hobby gardener when green caterpillars suddenly eat the lettuce. It can be the caterpillars of butterflies and moths, as well as the larvae of hymenoptera such as sawflies. Body coloring is variable. There are yellow-green to black-green specimens and some shine in a poisonous neon green. Among the butterfly caterpillars there are mini specimens of a few millimeters (like the crimson butterfly caterpillar) or large larvae that can grow up to 8 cm long (like the peacock butterfly caterpillar).

    Typical identification features:

    • head: like the body or colored differently
    • hairiness: densely hairy caterpillars with long or short hairs or glabrous
    • drawing: with dots or stripes
    • excesses: spine or bumps
    • pairs of legs: Butterflies with five to eight pairs of legs
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    Whitelings

    White caterpillars are well camouflaged by their green and brown coloring. Nevertheless, conspicuous markings in warning colors are recognizable to protect themselves from predators. Some species feed on poisonous plants and absorb the toxic ingredients, so the caterpillars are also poisonous to predators. White caterpillars have fully developed pairs of legs on the abdomen. They are hairy short or long, with the hair is developed in some species only in later caterpillar stages.

    Large and Small Cabbage White - Caterpillars in Comparison

    The caterpillars of the cabbage white are initially light yellow in color and have a brown head. They molt four times and progressively darken. Older caterpillars have a yellowish colored body with black spots that vary in size and are arranged in rows. Their head turns black and the body becomes increasingly hairy, while younger stages appear hairless.

    In contrast, the caterpillars of the small cabbage white are dull light green in color with yellow stripes on the sides and back, which is typical of the species. Unlike the cabbage white, this species does not undergo any significant change during its caterpillar development. All stages are covered with white hairs and the coloring remains largely the same.

    fanatic

    Caterpillars with a stinger on their hindquarters look menacing. This outgrowth is the so-called anal horn, which is considered a typical identifying feature of hawk moths. It sits on the eighth segment of the abdomen and in some species in the last instar can be greatly reduced to a button-shaped elevation.

    main coloring of the spine different spine coloring special feature
    Lime Hawkmoth with a blue spike purple shimmer triangular head capsule
    convolvulus moth with a red spike partially orange nuances Caterpillars up to 12 cm long
    privet hawkmoth with a black spike light yellow in color at the base with purple and white stripes on the sides
    pine hawkmoth Spine dark and split at the end later reddish with an orange head

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    Swarmers and her anal horn

    The anal horn has no specific function. It is supposed to protect the caterpillars from predators, because such a sting has a threatening effect on birds and other insectivores. He pretends the caterpillar is poisonous. However, the impressive caterpillars pose no danger to humans or pets.

    The bright colors of the spines in combination with the dotted and linear markings of many caterpillars intensify the threat. Even if the thorn recedes later in the caterpillar stage, the outgrowth from continues to retain its deterrent function. As a button-shaped elevation, the thorn looks like a kind of eye.

    frost moth

    The locomotion of the winter moth is worth a photo

    The caterpillars of these moths have a peculiar mode of locomotion, which is typical for all species of the moth family. They differ from other butterfly species, which have four pairs of ventral feet, by having one pair of ventral feet. In addition, tensioners have three pairs of breastbones and the so-called followers. To move, they cling to a branch with their breastbones and pull their abdomen up to their chests. As a result, the body arches upwards in an omega shape. The caterpillar pushes itself forward with the help of its pushers and the pair of abdominal feet.

    Typical coloring of the caterpillars:

    • adapted to the environment
    • some species imitate small branches
    • Lesser Frosted Moth: light green with white stripes on the sides and dark lines on the back
    • Great Frost Moth: reddish brown with light spots

    food spectrum

    The caterpillars of the large and small winter moth feed on young shoots, leaves and flower buds in spring. They infest fruit trees and do not stop at wild or ornamental shrubs. A severe infestation leads to defoliation, so that only the veins of the leaves and crumbs of droppings remain on the tree. Once the food is gone, the larvae will seek other food sources. Therefore, green caterpillars can be observed on the thread in spring, which can be carried to other trees by the wind.

    butterfly

    Among the moths there are caterpillars with hair or thorns that look menacing and fascinating at the same time. The thorns are simple or branched. Your body markings are very variable. The caterpillars can have black stripes or light and dark lines of various colors. Some species live sociable on their food plants.

    Typical caterpillars look like this:

    • Little fox: black with two broken yellow lateral lines, yellow and black spines
    • monarch butterfly: Band pattern of white, black and yellow horizontal stripes
    • Painted Lady: light yellow to green-brown, dark pattern
    • forest board game: yellowish-green, dark green and white bordered dorsal stripe, lateral light and dark lines

    Knight Butterfly

    The caterpillars of the knight butterfly are green or yellowish in color

    Typical of the caterpillars of the knight moth is the brightly colored nuchal fork that sits between the head and the body. In case of danger, this can be everted so that predators are scared off. To do this, the head and the front segments of the body are pulled down. The neck fork exudes an unpleasant smell.

    Swallowtails belong to the family of Swallowtails. Their caterpillars are initially black in color and have orange-red dots. A typical feature is the white saddle patch, which is supposed to be reminiscent of bird droppings. Older caterpillars are green in color and have black horizontal stripes with orange-red or yellow dots. They occasionally appear in gardens when dill, carrots or fennel are grown there.

    caterpillars of other insects

    Some larvae of other insects can easily be mistaken for caterpillars. There are green colored sawfly caterpillars with a black head or yellow, brown and black stripes and with brown to black dots. However, most of these caterpillars are not harmful to the plants. They can be identified by their pairs of legs. In addition to the three pairs of breast legs, these larvae develop up to four additional pairs of ventral feet and a pair of legs at the end of the body called the rear pusher.

    Green caterpillars are not always the larvae of butterflies.

    When can green caterpillars appear?

    In which months the caterpillars are active depends strongly on the weather conditions. With mild temperatures, the period of activity can spread. The caterpillars of different moth species can sometimes be observed all year round. Many lettuce eaters are more restricted to observe. Their occurrence is concentrated in the summer months, because that is when most forage plants grow.

    main month coloring identifying features food
    agate owl March - October (- December) green to yellow-brown Spine with white line, interrupted Nettle, blackberry, kitchen herbs, lettuce
    gamma owl March - October (- December) green, yellowish or bluish Black markings on the head Nettle, dandelion, kitchen herbs, lettuce
    Little frostbite April June green white longitudinal lines Shrubs
    Pyramid Owl May June blue green bumps on the abdomen Oak, poplar, willow
    Little Cabbage White August - October light to dull green yellowish lateral and dorsal stripes, white pigments Cabbage and vegetable species, nasturtium, rapeseed

    Fight green caterpillars?

    The box tree moth can become a plague and eat entire trees bare

    Whether control measures are necessary can only be determined after the exact identification of the species. Very few species are harmful to the plants in the garden and therefore do not have to be fought. The caterpillars of the large and small winter moth or the box tree moth are able to bare entire stands of plants. If the infestation is low, you can simply collect the caterpillars. Check your ornamental plants regularly to take further control measures if necessary.

    ornamental plants

    The green caterpillars of the box tree moth are dotted with black. They eat the leaves and bark of the box tree until it is completely bare. Since the ornamental plant can be damaged, the caterpillars should be fought at an early stage.

    The light to dark green caterpillars of the hedge moth with a brown head feed on roses like the caterpillars of the winter moth. Orange-headed caterpillars come from sawflies.

    If your lilac is infested with green caterpillars, it may be the privet hawkmoth. The densely hairy caterpillars of the pelargonium blue settle on geraniums. These are yellow to green in color and have one or two pink longitudinal lines on their backs.

    vegetables and fruit

    Various butterfly caterpillars are found on kohlrabi, cauliflower or broccoli. In addition to the caterpillars of the common cabbage white, green, brown or dark brown caterpillars of cabbage and vegetable owl can also feed on the plants. The greenish to yellow larvae of the cabbage moth, which prey on cabbages, are much less conspicuous. Covering the plants with crop protection nets helps against the pests, so that the adult moths are prevented from laying their eggs.

    Other caterpillars in the kitchen garden:

    • Strawberries: agate owl, borer or sawfly larvae
    • Peppers: Owl moths like the vegetable owl
    • Lettuce: gamma-ray owl, winter moth

    tips

    In order to recognize an infestation early, you should search the soil for crumbs of droppings and eaten leaves. The caterpillars usually do not show up at first glance.

    trees and shrubs

    In summer, green caterpillars are often active on fruit trees such as apple trees and cherry trees, which later develop into winter moths. These moths also attack shrubs such as currants and gooseberries. However, these fruit trees can also be visited by the caterpillars of the gooseberry sawfly. It doesn't matter whether it's a winter moth or a sawfly - the caterpillars can eat the trees completely bare and should be destroyed at an early stage.

    It is completely different with the birch moth. The species is progressively disappearing as its natural habitats are lost. That's why she's now on the early warning list. The pale green caterpillars are finely dotted with black and feed on the leaves of various birch trees. They are found not only on birches but also on black alder, hazel and small-leaved lime.

    kitchen herbs

    The caterpillar of the cutlet moth likes to eat our vegetables

    Owl moths have a wide range of food. The species attack almost all herbaceous plants. Gamma and agate owl are two of these species, which can also occur on basil, mint and parsley. The well-camouflaged caterpillars are usually difficult to spot. A good indication of a caterpillar infestation are small balls of droppings on the ground.

    tips

    Since you still want to eat the kitchen herbs, you should not use soft soap, tobacco and the like. Stick a clove of garlic in the ground instead.

    frequently asked Questions

    Are green caterpillars with stingers on their hindquarters poisonous?

    The spines that pine, lime or privet hawkmoths develop on the abdomen are what is known as the anal horn. This is to deter predators. In the course of development, the outgrowth can recede in some species, leaving an eye-shaped elevation. This thorn poses no danger to humans.

    How can I fight green caterpillars naturally?

    Protective nets are the simplest solution to prevent caterpillar infestation. These prevent the moths from laying their eggs. If your plants are lightly infested, you can simply collect the caterpillars. Release the trapped animals in the forest so they can find alternative food crops there.

    If the infestation is more severe, you can hose off robust plants and shrubs with a jet of water. Then collect fallen larvae from the ground. Caterpillars are guided by scents. Plants with a strong smell, such as garlic, confuse the insect larvae. Mixed cultures therefore prevent a caterpillar infestation.

    How do I recognize an infestation by green caterpillars early?

    It doesn't matter whether the caterpillars are small, thick, large or long - they all leave marks on the leaves. Examine your plants thoroughly and don't forget to check the undersides of leaves and branches. Many caterpillars are adapted to their environment and are therefore usually not visible at first glance. Poop crumbs are a good guide. They are recognizable as dark spots on the plant.

    When and where do green caterpillars appear?

    The voracious larvae can appear in the garden from March to October, although their activity period depends on the weather. During cold and rainy spring periods, the butterflies only lay their eggs on the host plants in the summer. If the winter is delayed, offspring can be produced until December. Almost all plants are attacked by caterpillars in nature. Many species have specialized, while other caterpillars are found on various ornamental and useful plants.

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Animals in the garden