Another photo

Hello again, Vladimir,

these are caterpillars of Thaumetopoea solitaria. I also found them in Greece (Peloponnes) two weeks ago on Pistacia terebinthus. They obviously spin no nests but are crowding together when they do not eat. To a new place they go like the other Thaumetopoea species queuing one by one but also completely around the whole twig.

Greetings

Rudolf Ritt

Good Pictures, Vladimir! In the second picture the caterpillars were disturbed, so they are vomiting some fluid for defense.

Rudolf Ritt

Thank you Rudolph!

I had no idea that this could be one of Thaumetopoea even I started to work on T. pityocampa. Yes, on the second pic. we disturbed them in order to collect some to get some parasitoids.

If you need the pictures i can send you via email.

Best wishes, Vladimir

Thank you very much, that is very kind of you, I have already a lot of pictures of my own. But if you like my answers, you may upvote them.

Thanks a lot and best wishes

Rudolf

Another caterpillar for identifacation! on Acer monspessulanum, SERBIA, Niš, Gornji Matejevac, 10.05.2015.

These green Geometrid caterpillars are very hardly to identify.

I think it is Alsophila aescularia, but I am not sure. If you have another picture of the bottom side: these caterpillars have an additional pair of false legs, which can be seen from the bottom. They are only betoken, so you must look exactly. If you can see them, you can be rather sure to have Alsophila aescularia. There is another species, Alsophila aceraria (You found your specimen on Acer montspessulanum), but I think the caterpillar looks not like A. aceraria. A. aceraria is oligophagous on Quercus and Acer, A. aescularia is polyphagous. There are also other candidates, if you will not find the accessory false legs.

I agree with Rudolf Ritt. In Turkey, sometimes Thaumetopoea solitaria population becomes high. But in Turkey Pistachio Orchard, it isn't a key pest.