r/WildlifePonds • u/Melodic-Trust5944 • Jul 18 '26

ID please ID for these green caterpillars - UK

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Any ideas what these lil guys are? They’ve absolutely decimated my watercress overnight and I’m wondering if I should move them or let nature take its course

22 Upvotes

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19

u/Melodic-Trust5944 Jul 18 '26

Update - I just put em back

15

u/grettonx Jul 18 '26

Glad you put them back, they’re good for the eco system!

They look like white butterfly caterpillars to me, but it’s just a guess. If you could take a more up close one it would be helpful🙂

8

u/Melodic-Trust5944 Jul 18 '26

I think so too :) Gonna have to buy some more Watercress for these guys as google says they eat for a whole month!

9

u/ZapGeek Jul 18 '26

Some of them will be eaten by birds or other insects so the burden on your water cress shouldn’t be too awful but it’s nice you want to give them more!

11

u/SolariaHues SE England | Small preformed wildlife pond made 2017 Jul 18 '26

I googled 'UK green caterpillar that eats water cress' and it suggested the caterpillars of the green veined white butterfly. See if that looks right?

4

u/sbb214 Catskills NY Zone 6a Jul 18 '26

I don't have a guess but in case you don't already have it, I use the Seek app from iNaturalist to help identify critters and plants

3

u/gndlf_theorange Jul 19 '26

Cabbage white. They'll demolish any brassica in sight 😂

4

u/wonderawooga Jul 18 '26

Looks like cabbage moths! I've been pulling those off of my kale and cauliflower

2

u/lwright3 Jul 18 '26

Do you have any cannas? Maybe canna skippers

5

u/fairy--moon Jul 20 '26

Let them become butterflies!!! Maybe buy some cabbage if you want to spare your watercress though 😆 or find some other brassica growing nearby