About 6-7cm long – photographed next to a 5p piece.
A side profile and found in our garden today. When Ben put it on the lawn, it proceeded to move across the patio and onto another lawn, it obviously knows where it wants to go. What will it become? Hopefully not something that will eat all Ben’s brassicas other Ben will wish that he had committed murder!
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I am pretty sure that is an Elephant Hawk Moth larva (Deilephila elpenor).
The adult is a beautiful creature and is about 4 cm long with a wingspan up to 6 cm.
Adults fly from May to July and larvae appear in July to September (so yours will most likely be pupating any time now to overwinter before emerging as an adult next spring).
The larvae are particularly fond of Rosebay Willow Herb and also Fuchsia, so I think Ben’s brassicas should be okay.
Here is a link to a photo of the adult moth:
http://rxwildlife.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/eh-adult.jpg
Thanks Kevin. Clearly the reason it was so keen to move from one lawn to the other, via a very hot patio, is because it was heading for my fuchsias! Decision time!!
Dear Jane,
Nice pictures. This is an Elephant Hawk-moth caterpillar. Ben’s brassicas should be safe- it feeds on willowherbs (typically rosebay willowherb), although sometimes in gardens it can be on fuchsias. Spectacular beast isn’t it? The adult is pretty spectacular too, but there won’t now be any of those about until next summer. For more information see
http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=60
The glint in its eyes look frighteningly purposeful, Jane. I fear for your fuschias, but don’t let him march up the road whatever you do!