GardenSeeker.Co.Uk Pruning Businesses Search Gardening Gifts

Raspberry Yellow Tail Moth. Stripping leaves

Hairy caterpillars from the Yellow tail Moth can cause stripping of the leaves on Raspberries. Typical signs are holes in the raspberry leaves or eaten leaf edges.

The moth is quite attractive pure silky white giving its sometimes-used common name of the Swan Moth. As well as the white wings, it has characteristic identifying yellow rear end. This is not so with the larval caterpillar stage which is generally black with white and orange markings.

This Yellow Tail Moth or rather its larvae - is not normally considered a severe garden pest, for the caterpillars are only present in small numbers most of the time in the UK. The food of the yellow tail moth caterpillars are plant leaves - in this instance leading to eaten raspberry foliage.

Brightly coloured caterpillar of the yellow tail moth on rspberry leafThey can be picked off and destroyed - however wear gloves to do this for the hairs of this caterpillar can cause irritation. A contact spray of Bifenthrin will also kill the caterpillars. Do not use when plants are in flower for you may also kill pollinating insects such as bees.

The caterpillars are around 3cm long and brightly coloured orange and black with tufts of hairs protruding from the body - quite attractive! The adult moth is white, but with a slight yellow colouring of the lower part of the body - abdomen.



Life Cycle of the Yellow Tail Moth

The life cycle dictates that it is not a year-round pest for the caterpillars tend to pupate in early summer after firstly feeding on Raspberries and also several other tree and shrub species. The Pupae then further develop or metamorphose into the adult moth which is visible in the evenings during mid-summer July and August.

Adult moth showing the general white colouring of the Yellow-tail moth.The moth in itself is harmless other than being the parent to be of the caterpillar pest. The eggs are laid at that time and later over-winter as eggs to turn into caterpillars mid spring.

Various similar moths and also the yellow tail moth also feed on several trees or shrubs normally of Rosaceae family such as apples, pears, plums and cherries.

When resting, the moth resembles a pitched roof with its sharply domed wing structure.

At the time its curious act of self defense is simply by rolling over on its side playing dead. Presumably its predators do not eat what is perceived to be dead meat! As with many other moths, it is attracted to a light source and often seen in summer moth traps.






extraAdvert


Popular Gardening Sections

Card image cap
Sections

Learn - all aspects of lawn maintenance, how to build and maintain a pond, care and grow vegetables and fruit, fit for your table.

Sections
Card image cap
Problems

Identify Weeds in The Garden - How to deal with weeds. Diseases and Pest which harm your garden and plants, learn how to prevent, deter and erradicate your garden problems.

Garden Problems
Card image cap
Pruning

Pruning Guide. Shrubs flower better with correct pruning. Many illustrations and examples of what to do - and when. Includes evergreens, roses, flowering shrubs, spring flowering shrubs and pruning for stem effect. This is our most viewed and comprehensive section,

Pruning
Card image cap
Gardening Businesses

Gardening Businesses listed in the UK counties and USA states. County and State Listings of businesses involved in Garden supplies and services. If you wish to be added to the Directory, please send us your information. Having problems, use the search box

Businesses
Card image cap
Gardening

In this section you will learn about Gardening Basics, Containers, Landscaping, Propagation and Soil.

Gardening

Copyright © GardenSeeker.Co.UK - 2000 - 2022

Advertising listing / Privacy Policy
Contact Us

| DMCA.com Protection Status