Re: Giant caterpillar

Sounds like an Elephant Hawk Moth caterpillar to me  - wandering around looking
for somewhere to pupate no doubt.

HTH,

Martin

Kathleen Moon wrote:

> David Woodthorpe wrote:
>
> >I live in Scunthorpe, UK, which is not a place where tropical insects
> >normally roam.  Scunthorpe is a safe place!However, today my wife found a
> >caterpillar which looks as though it belongs in a rain forest.  It had the
> >audacity to wander across the patio as she was taking morning coffee.  It is
> >huge, about 8cms long and has a horn on its rear end.  The thorax (I think,
> >anyway, the front end) has what could be described as two kidney shaped
> >patterns on either side.  The caterpillar is fat too, probably 2.5 - 3 cms
> >circumference.  I can't measure it because it makes very sudden movements
> >when disturbed and they have the desired effect.  I haven't touched it.  It
> >is greeny brown and slightly lighter at the head.  There is like a very fine
> >honeycomb pattern over the seven? body sections.  I  do understand that they
> >bruise easily so it is in a large container with an assortment of leaves.  I
> >think it is responsible for making lots of holes in some geraniums.  So, I
> >wondered if anyone might know what this giant of a caterpillar is, and if
> >anyone might be interested in receiving it as gift?
> >I'd love to hear from someone.  Thanks, David W
> >
> Hel;lo.
>
> I am curious: has  noone replied to your query yet?  It looks to me like
> a sphingid of some kind, but then, given that I am in Los Angeles,  I
> could be very far off the track.  Neil Jones (look for him on this
> newsgroup) should be able to tell you quite accurately what species it
> is -- and far quicker than I as well.  Both the size and the horn are
> pretty good keying features to the family level, however: although some
> species lose their caudal horn after the first or second instar, there
> is usually a tell-tale button where the horn was.  The behavior you
> describe is also fairly common among sphinx moth caterpillars.
>
> Pierre A Plauzoles
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]