The thing i saw on my ride yesterday

[Accy cyclist]

I was out for a ride yesterday afternoon not far from home when i saw what i thought was a slug,as i stopped at a give way sign. I then noticed that it was moving at a fair pace in arched back movements,on closer inspection it was a caterpillar. The thing must have been 4 to 5 inches long it was huge! It was light brown in colour with v type markings on its back and it had 2 dodgy looking pincers on its tail. I watched it moving towards the kerb, i was cringing every time some car drove over it, thankfully not crushing it. Then the stupid thing turned around and made its way back into the road so i picked it up with a discarded crisp packet and put it into someones garden. Does anyone know of such monster caterpillars as this being native to our shores?

 

[hopless500]

I was out for a ride yesterday afternoon not far from home when i saw what i thought was a slug,as i stopped at a give way sign. I then noticed that it was moving at a fair pace in arched back movements,on closer inspection it was a caterpillar. The thing must have been 4 to 5 inches long it was huge! It was light brown in colour with v type markings on its back and it had 2 dodgy looking pincers on its tail. I watched it moving towards the kerb, i was cringing every time some car drove over it, thankfully not crushing it. Then the stupid thing turned around and made its way back into the road so i picked it up with a discarded crisp packet and put it into someones garden. Does anyone know of such monster caterpillars as this being native to our shores?

The biggies tend to be moths. Could be a hawk moth but the book is downstairs and I'm in bed, so forgive me, but I'm not going to check right now!!

 

[classic33]

The biggies tend to be moths. Could be a hawk moth but the book is downstairs and I'm in bed, so forgive me, but I'm not going to check right now!!

Ah go on, you know you'll not sleep until you know for certain!!

 

[Keith Oates]

I've just checked and it sounds as if it may be a Convolvulus Hawkmoth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Rob3rt]

Those things, in fact any caterpillar, gives me the shudders. Awful...

 

[vernon]

[QUOTE 2640251, member: 259"]Yes, it sounds like a hawkmoth. This cheeky chappy is the biggest you'll see in the UK, an elephant hawkmoth:

[/quote]

Where's its trunk?

 

[Arch]

Where's its trunk?

Silly. Only the adult hawkmoth has the trunk, not the caterpillar. The adults have big flappy ears too.

 

[biggs682]

we have managed to see a couple of hawkmoth ones but not so far this year

 

[Accy cyclist]

Thanks for the pics! Yes they look like the one i saw. How big's the moth by the way?!

 

[jayonabike]

While I was out today the traffic up ahead had stopped in both directions. As I got closer I saw why. A family of ducks were out for an afternoon stroll.

 

[Noodley]

Hawkmoths, led by Brian Blessed. He'd make a scary caterpillar.

 

[Arch]

Thanks for the pics! Yes they look like the one i saw. How big's the moth by the way?!

Well, imagine the caterpillar all mashed up, and then reconstituted into a moth....