CLOSED: Please help ID this caterpillar, I don't know what it eats!

Lincoln, United Kingdom(Zone 8a)

This lovely fluffy baby I found after potting on some plants, so I don't know what it eats.

It was attached to the end of a Horse Chestnut tree flower stem. I was under the tree potting on plants, a brugmansia was the last plant, which I had in my greenhouse. I also did some Ginkgo biloba but I don't think they were eaten, the brugmansia has holes in it. I also did a Magnolia sieboldii, acer and canna but I don't think they would be host plants.

It was in a small planter which was already there so I'm not sure if it did come from a plant I was potting. I put it on a brugmansia leaf (any brug growers out there, yes they are suffering and are desparate for a bigger pot!). There is fuchsia leaves laying next to it, I am worried it may not get the correct food.

Any butterfly/caterpillar experts who can help?

Thumbnail by wallaby1
Churchill, Victoria, Australia(Zone 10a)

That is the caterpillar of the Sycamore Moth (Acronicta aceris) http://www.javajane.co.uk/Hairy/slides/sycamore_moth8.html
http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com/cgi-bin/res.pl?keyword=Sycamore+Moth&offset=0
http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?bf=2279

The caterpillar feeds on horse-chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) as well as sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) and field maple (A. campestre)

Lincoln, United Kingdom(Zone 8a)

Thanks Ken! I had a feeling it may have dropped off the tree. There is also a Sycamore tree opposite.

I'll have to put it on one of the trees somewhere.

The moth on the first link looks very much like some I have had in the day time feeding on phlox and buddleja, not sure though as it has a white pattern on the wing. The second one looks different.

One for BugFiles!

Thumbnail by wallaby1

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