Gardening
Wildlife watch
Elephant hawk moth and caterpillar
August is a good time to spot the fuchsia and olive-coloured elephant hawkmoth, says writer and photographer David Chapman
Over the next few weeks you might notice an unusual caterpillar munching its way through the foliage in your garden, particularly if you have a fuchsia.
The caterpillar that I am thinking of should technically be referred to as a larva since it is the offspring of a moth rather than a butterfly and this is a big one!
The moth in question is called an 'elephant hawkmoth'. Hawkmoths are large moths with a fast and strong flight; there are nine species resident in Britain and probably a further eight which occur as migrants.
The elephant hawkmoth gets its name from the appearance of its larva, not because it is big but because it has a long, trunk-like nose.
However when the larva senses danger it can withdraw its trunk creating a slightly more bulbous head shape; this is when the large eye-like markings on either side of its head can give the impression of a much more imposing creature to scare off potential predators.
During August we are probably more likely to see the larva than the adult form of the elephant hawkmoth but it is worth looking around any outside lights for one of these colourful insects. The adult is about 4 cm long and its markings are a combination of olive and pink!
More on garden wildlife
Reader comments
Took a photograph of an elephant hawk moth near my back door in central scotland just over two years ago. It was quite amazing.
Posted by: joyce shaw | 17/11/2009 13:03:11
my son found one in my garden amazing creature but very scary icould not go out in the garden for two weeks
Posted by: dianne | 29/10/2009 16:37:40
I have just had the shock of my life. Putting rubbish outside and there on my fuchsia were two baby snakes. On closer inspection I realised they were not in fact snakes and have now set about finding what they are. Never seen elephant hawk moth larve before and having now seen the pictures of the moth I hope they stay nearby.
Posted by: Sue Booth | 20/09/2009 02:09:21
My neighbour Grace has found a Hawk carepillar in her garden.She is 85 and never seen one before .We have him in a jar at present and have been fascinated finding out all about him
Posted by: Ros | 17/09/2009 12:28:05
Just met my 1st Elephant Hawk Moth, he has not eaten any of my fuchsias yet, I hope he stays some time to enable me to take photos.
Posted by: Phyllis | 15/09/2009 16:24:51
We have seen a big one here often over the last two weeks, today we have 6 munching on on the Fuchsias.
Posted by: Christopher Coleman | 14/09/2009 19:26:03
My neighbour had what she thought was a baby snake, on its way down her drive. I took a photo of it before putting it safely back in the undergrowth. It was absolutely huge and when I touched it, it raised its head (just like you would expect a snake to) but no snake, it turned out to be an Elephant Hawk Moth caterpillar. This is my first ever encounter with one of these moths - just wondering why I have never seen one before, we have lived here for well over 30 years and have seen all kinds of wildlife in and around the garden.
Posted by: Angie MacDonald | 13/09/2009 16:23:42
I too have just had the "what the heck is that in my garden!" experience and very pleased as I thought I only had a garden full of slugs.
Posted by: Yvonne, north wales | 10/09/2009 20:29:18
I have found one on my fushia in my garden - I have also taken pictures of it - I never seen one as big before. How long dose it take to be come a moth
Posted by: Caroline | 09/09/2009 14:38:29
I live in Birmingham and have just found one in my garage of all places. Having successfully placed it in the garden I see it's now heading towards the dahlias. Ah well it looks nice.
Posted by: rod beattie | 08/09/2009 15:44:28
found an elephant hawk caterpillar last thursday, have seen them before so knew what it was. have got it in a jar to show my nephews and nieces, but i think its started to turn into pupea (or is it chrystalis?). when shuld they do this, and when will it emerge as moth? any answers?
Posted by: trisha joseph | 08/09/2009 13:50:32
68 years young and just encountered our first meeting with an elephant hawk moth larva in the Greenfield Valley Heritage Park,quite awesome to look at with its false eyes staring at you,but very nice velvety touch when stroking it.
Posted by: Peter O'Donnell | 07/09/2009 20:14:11
Have seen 2 caterpillars here in Surrey in the last week - about 3 inches long and half an inch wide, about as big as my index finger. The last one this am was half-erect with one end expanded to a bulbous shape with two large 'eyes' - these are skin markings which it obviously was using to frighten off two magpies which were pecking at it - it worked on me!!
Posted by: Peter Barnett | 07/09/2009 20:01:58
At the weekend i found one of these strange looking caterpillar`s on my front doorstep, it looked as though half it`s head was missing, we were all fascinated with it as never before have we seen one of these. My husband moved it of the patio slab and put it over by the trees and bushes. Today i was watering my Fushia`s and Geraniums and came across another 2 of these very large caterpillars and have now found out that they are the elephant hawk moth caterpillar. So pleased that i have seen them and will be careful when watering the plant.
Posted by: Joyce Holden | 07/09/2009 18:18:16
I had the shock of my life this afternoon when I went to investigate what my Siamese cat was studying under a bush in the sunshine. I screamed as I thought it was a baby snake. I went and fetched the trowel as I did not want my cat to eat or harm it. I managed to sling it over my fence onto some waste land and now deciding to search the internet have found that this was actually an Elephant Hawk Moth, I feel ashamed that I was scared of it and sent it packing over the fence. I must say first looks you immdiately think of a baby snake. My neighbour also was puzzled as he too had never seen anything like it and like me he is a very keen gardener.
Posted by: Maureen | 07/09/2009 18:16:36
My husband found an elephant hawk moth this morning in our garden where our fuchsias bush, my husband or I have never seen one of these before and our sons found it very interesting, we decided to go on the internet to find out what it was. Do you know when this will change into a moth?
Posted by: Mrs D Burt | 06/09/2009 17:31:04
well we was about to cut the grass when i noticed this strange looking creature so we went inside and suggested it was some kind of moth so i looked it up on the internet and it turned out to be a elephant hawk moth WOW! well it was only the other day i was watching it on The One Show and it was the elephant hawk moth that was on the show not knowing anythying about it. and also not thinking of it i didnt even think i would evere come across one in my life. They also turn out in lovely colours
Posted by: reece | 06/09/2009 15:24:11
My wife has not been so excited in the back garden for years!! We have hundreds of Fuschias and one large happy hawk moth chomping away at the leaves. First time we have seen one in 60 years and we hope it is not the last. Saves me removing the leaves in a couple of weeks time. Hope to see the adult next year.
Posted by: peter tanner | 06/09/2009 15:01:50
Yuk, the most revolting thing ever, but cant wait to see the wonderful moth!!
Posted by: fee | 06/09/2009 13:05:52
I was taking down an awning after wind damage when suddenly I noticed this long brown caterpillar on the grass. Being scared of anything that moved I bravely tried to get a closer look at this alien creature and suddenly it rose up into the air and thoughts of snakes and lizards came into mind. Having newts I wondered what baby newts looked liked so I put a tub over it and waited for my husband to arrive home. He didn't know what it was either so he showed a photo of it to our neighbour and he said probably a Hawkeshead Moth Caterpillar. Looked it up and he was right! Placed it in the border.
Posted by: Patricia Atkinson | 06/09/2009 09:48:49
We too found one of these elephant hawk moths in our garden, but we don't have fucias! fascinating creature, my two sons enjoyed researching to find out what it was - hope to see it's mum and dad around too!
Posted by: fiona | 27/08/2009 22:58:24
Same here, just found my first one. Can anyone tell me why we are all suddenly seeing these caterpillars for the first time if they are so well known? I am not a youngster, have previously lived in the countryside for 20 years as well as in the city for the last 20 years, and have never seen one of these things before.
Posted by: TKMAX | 27/08/2009 19:54:27
My husband shouted to me to "come and have a look at this caterpillar it looks like a snake " I thought it might be a hawk moth but checked on internet and it is a elephant hawk moth. What a wonderful sight! So glad we found it and not our dogs! It is now safe on my fuschias away from dogs (after taking photos of course) We hope that we can see the moth in spring.
Posted by: maggie | 27/08/2009 14:38:51
Weird, just taking my dog for a walk in Old Deer Park (Richmond) when i thought i had seen out of the corner of my eye a lizard, but no its a huge caterpilla, i knew that the answer would be here on the net, turns out its an elephant hawkmoth picked it up on a leaf, and carried into the undergrowth, what a sight, brilliant!
Posted by: Paul Blaize | 25/08/2009 20:10:52
I found several of these in our pond where they are happily eating the bogbean. As there is a lot of it, I don't mind at all. And the cats are no threat since they don't like water so it's good all round.
Posted by: Joan | 25/08/2009 17:57:50
Just found 5 of these, all about 4 inches long, munching willow herb in the wild garden near Kelso in the Scottish Borders. Have left some willow herb for them to eat.
Posted by: Paul Grime | 25/08/2009 16:12:57
my cat has bought in 3 of these rather amazing caterpillars in the last few days , she seems to think they are some sort of small rodent !
Posted by: m ashby | 25/08/2009 11:20:11
I found an elephant hawk moth on a fuschia in a hanging basket outside my kitchen door. I was talking to a friend and I was touching what I thought was a large twig as I wasn't wearing my specs ! I nearly jumped out of my skin when I put them on - it was huge. I found another one the next day just as large. I've never seen one before - must be something to do with the weather.
Posted by: David Watts Camberley | 24/08/2009 15:44:53
i would like to keep the caterpillar(elephant hawk moth)that i found in the garden.would this be wrong.i have got it ina nice home with leaves from the fushias.i would like to show it to my grand children when they come back off of holiday next week.please e mail
Posted by: marian howse | 24/08/2009 11:26:22
I have an influx of these in my garden! i only came across them when my little beagle puppy discovered his howl (which was a shock to all of us!) beautiful things... can anyone tell me if they are dangerous for him? he hasnt tried eating one yet and im trying to keep him away but i have found at least 20 over the weekend and it wont be long before his inquisitive nature gets the better of him....!
Posted by: debi | 24/08/2009 11:15:21
I found ,what I now know to be an elephant hawk moth caterpiller, while I was weeding a very overgrown bit of my large garden yesterday. in my 70 years I have never seen one before- facinating creature-over 2 inches long. It wrapped itself round my finger and displayed its 'trunk' beautifully. took lots of pictures put it back where I found it and looked it up on the internet I shall now be on the lookout for the moth.
Posted by: sylvia | 23/08/2009 22:13:57
mum found a huge caterpillar today,thought it was a snake then found this site,never seen one before,next door neighboors hadn't either but it looks cool!!!! hope to see it hatch
Posted by: matthew howe | 23/08/2009 21:37:39
same type of thing here my wife shouted me into the garden to see a large caterpillar that the dog had found googling found it was an elephant hawk moth caterpillar lovely to see can't wait to see the actual moth
Posted by: michael northridge | 23/08/2009 13:01:12
we just found one of these crawling on the step of our summerhouse, it was huge and at first we thought it was a snake too ! it reared up its head and really did look quite scary, after rescuing it of the step and away from the dog and reading up on it on here i will now go and place it in the fushia bushes, wow never thought i'd be rescuing caterpillars on a sunday afternoon!
Posted by: rach | 23/08/2009 12:53:58
Today Sunday 23rd August have just had a shock by finding a huge caterpillar on our plants in the garden, I thought it was a small snake! My neighbours also said they had seen nothing like it ever and looking it up think it must be the Elephant Hawk Moth Caterpillar? My husband and I are so excited to have seen it and just hope it has chance to turn into a wonderful moth.
Posted by: Mrs Edwards | 23/08/2009 11:52:47
Just seen one of these caterpillars today it stuck out in the long grass in our garden. Scary but fascinating, I'll be checking out the fuchsia bush tomorrow.
Posted by: Claire G | 23/08/2009 00:24:02
Just went into the kitchen and saw what I thought was a slug on the floor - until it started flicking - no wonder the dog was looking a little bit confused! Put it back outside then had a quick look on the net and found out what it was, we do have fuschias so am guessing the dog brought it into the house. Who would have thought that such a 'drab' caterpillar could turn into something so beautiful?
Posted by: Karen McCarthy | 22/08/2009 19:09:21
cats just been playing with something on garden when we went to investigate we couldnt believe it .its quite a scary looking thing first time we have seen anything like it took some photos then moved it to safety .googled it now know what it is we have returned it to the fushia bush and keeping the cat away feel great that ive seen one and will look tomorrow for anymore
Posted by: caroline fern | 20/08/2009 20:59:53
I currently have two in garden tubs. One munching its way through a fushia, and the other stripping a busy lizzie bare! Yesterday, I saw the long trunk shaped nose extended. They are amazing, and everyone is coming to see them. One friend knew straight away what it was, but we have not seen the actual moth.
Posted by: Joan | 20/08/2009 19:48:56
I had one of these near a fuschia bush yesterday (sunny evening in Shropshire). Two blackbirds dancing around 'twittering' obviously longing for supper but too frightened to attack. I took a photo of it - 11cms long and about 4cms diameter - what a whopper! Looked very scary. Googled a 'bug site' and kind person identified it immediately. Feel privileged to have seen it.
Posted by: Bobby Coleman | 20/08/2009 09:01:39
Wondered what the dog was playing with this morning and my son said it was a slug, but as he rescued it from the dogs hungry mouth we saw that it looked like a baby snake!! Researched it on here and are glad to know it is harmless as the spike on its behind is a little scary! So we fed it some fuschia leaves and placed it back in the garden among the fuschias. xx
Posted by: Ross and Tracie | 19/08/2009 20:39:00
Saw this huge caterpiller crawling across our patio yesterday. Photographed and measured it 3ins!. Our neighbours could not believe it. None of us had seen an elephant hawk moth before. Now I know it likes fuschias I shall go and inspect ours.
Posted by: Denise | 18/08/2009 11:34:47
our dog became very excitable in the back garden,he had found an elephant hawkmoth. We do not have any fuschias but it was on weedy patch under childrens trampoline, we are all fascinated by it.
Posted by: donna reece | 17/08/2009 17:55:03
I heard one of my cats yell and when i rushed outside Isaw an enormous creature walking along the garden path of course brave husband says do somethiing with it so having dispatched it safely into some bushes I immediately tried to find out what it was and discovered it was the larva of the elephant hawk moth. Like everyone before in aaaalll my years I have never seen anything like it but hope to see the adult moth
Posted by: margaret donnelly | 17/08/2009 15:57:22
Found one in the middle of my local cycle path yesterday when walking the dog. I've never seen such a big caterpillar in my life and I was a bit wary of it. My son, bless him thought it might be some sort of short fat baby snake as it had already withdrawn it's trunk and the bulbous head looked quite snake like. I cautiously lifted it and put it into the grassy hedgerow for safety.
Posted by: Keith McGuire | 16/08/2009 18:32:46
I have just found one whilst helping my dad cut the hedge.I was freaked out at firt as it looked like a new type of species & would never have guessed it was a moth!Just like you say it had made its head really large & it looked like 2 enormous eyes staring at me & wasn't sure if it was a baby snake.Now I know what it is & the sort of habitat it likes I'm going to put it back in the perfect spot.
Posted by: George Watkins | 16/08/2009 13:25:45
My dog found a hawkshead moth caterpillar in the garden and was running around it not knowing what to do - my daughter went to investigate - thought it was a snake, picked up the dog and ran!!! With the help of a handy flower pot I despatched it to the compost heap - hope he finds his way back to the fuschias now I know what it is!!!
Posted by: Angie | 16/08/2009 12:25:42
Went in the garden this morning to find my dog looking at our fushia shaking. Looked closer and found one of the elephant hawk moths hanging from it. Brought it in to show my family and when we looked at the plant again there was actually another on there. Was going to cut the grass today but I think I will leave it for now!
Posted by: Oliver Halls | 15/08/2009 12:14:59
Thankfully now know what we had crawling in our garden yesterday. It crept out from under a Busy Lizzy - no fuschia to be had. Feisty little thing when we tried to get it out of the hole it had fallen in. My cats, as well as me and mum were fascinated. We looked, but did not touch.
Posted by: Marie | 14/08/2009 21:02:36
Fascinating!! Found an elephant hawk moth caterpillar in our little side patch (soon to be a herb garden) today. Had absolutely no idea what it was - in fact, at first glance, we thought it was a snake his colouring blended in so well we couldn't make out where he stopped and the garden started! Took him very gingerly to our expert next door neighbour, he had no idea what it was either. So into an old ice cream tub and off to The Plotlands in Great Dunmow Road. Sue there was extremely helpful and knew exactly what she was talking about. Kevin (the caterpillar) is now happily nestled by the fuschia bush. Can't wait for next spring!
Posted by: Jan Brierley | 14/08/2009 15:01:30
I have a small open yard in manchester, i found one of these 4 years ago, about 75mm long.I have seen them every year since and found one today,never seen the moth though.
Posted by: steve turnbull | 13/08/2009 20:29:17
Found the most huge caterpillar I've ever seen in my life today and found out it's an elephant hawk moth. We were transfixed - it looked like a very mini boa constrictor so can understand a previous post where the children thought it was a snake !
Posted by: Amanda Jones | 13/08/2009 16:56:51
My cat found one today we didnt now what it was even all my family had never saw one before the cat yelped and left the moth alone we think it was the spike on its bum
Posted by: Sophie | 11/08/2009 21:19:47
I was a amazed to see such a beautiful creature in my garden a elephant hawk moth,i was helping my wife to do the horse as i came across this long black thing it was huge and long it must been about 10cm long which is big,i picked it up and put it somewhere safe on a tree so no birds could get to it,i hope i see another one again ill be lucky to i might start growing some more fuchsia lol.
Posted by: John Stanley | 11/08/2009 12:25:09
wow!!! They are soooo amazing. my cat found one and started playing with it, and when i went to investigate what he was playing with i found that it was a larva and had to research it and i did and they look so amazing and placed it in our fushia plant, but as the days have gone by i have found more and more of them, can't wait until they grow into the most beautiful moths that i have seen i hope everyone once in their life they get to see one
Posted by: Louise Baker | 10/08/2009 20:46:45
OMG.... what a scary looking caterpillar !!! My daughter found a elephant hawk moth this morning and we were unsure what it was til i looked on here. Now i know its harmless we have released it back into the garden. Hope it survives
Posted by: sarah | 09/08/2009 18:40:02
i was sunbathing in the back garden, due to the suddenly hot weather that we dont usually have and i notice something crawling on my leg. when i sat up i was suprized to find a 10cm long caterpillar. i picked it up and put it in a jar. glad it wasnt my mum that found it or the whole north of england would have heard her lmao. was amazed to find that it was a elephant hawk larva, and was even more astounded to find that it turned into a pink moth, none of my family, friends or neighbours have even seen or heard of them. cant wait till next may when i finally get to see it in all its splender, and have now named it hungry lol! going to get a tank and its own fuscia insted of my leg hahaha!
Posted by: ellen wiseman | 09/08/2009 17:55:26
My cat found one of these amazing elephant hawk moth caterpillars on one of my fuschias yesterday. First time in my life (64 years) that I have seen one. So pleased that my cat showed me where it was by playing with it. Caterpillar completely unharmed and still munching fuschia.
Posted by: Dorothy Cunnington | 09/08/2009 14:41:25
Absolutely amazed to find an elephant hawk caterpillar at a staggering 2 inches long today. Earlier this week my toddler and I collected a half dozen cinnabar moth larvae ad thought that would be the best of our bounty. Considering I nearly "weeded out" this monster with handfuls of old grass I wonder how many of these and other glorios creatures get overlooked on a regular basis?
Posted by: Jess | 07/08/2009 21:08:55
my husband found a elephant hawk moth crawling along a slab in our garden we didnt know what it was until we looked it up on the internet.we have now put it in our bark with the plants i just hope it survives.
Posted by: mrs jill kenny | 06/08/2009 19:30:33
Wished I had known that it was harmless but had such a shock when i saw it today chomping it's ferosciously down at the allotment.My daughter and I carfully lifted the plant and removed it else where.What a whopper!!Never in my 58 years on this earth have I seen such a big caterpillar.Wished I'd been brave enough to study it in more detail as I bet you I'll never see another.Have printed a photo from the internet so that i can show my husband as I'm sure he thought I was exaggerating.
Posted by: Liz Seabrook | 04/08/2009 20:27:10
my son has just found one too, in our garden, we were not sure at first, so looked it up on the internet, we were relieved to know it is harmless, as it looks very scary, we are going to put him back in a nice place in the garden so hecan much away on the leaves, then make his change into a moth, good luck little fella xxx
Posted by: janine arnott | 02/08/2009 15:26:56
Like most of a lot of people we saw our very first elephant hawk moth caterpillar on our hanging basket in the front of the house...called in the neighbours to see this and at first we all were a bit scared of what we saw.. but now realise how harmless it is...what a interesting and beautiful creature..
Posted by: lynne hands | 28/07/2009 16:36:53
We found 4 or so of the larvae in our garden yesterday. I had no idea what they were and had never seen such large caterpillars so I looked them up. We have left them to it.
Posted by: Abby Harvey | 26/07/2009 13:52:06
i found an elephant hawk moth in my garden and was amazed to see such a beautifull creature had blessed my garden. What seems most odd to me after reading comments and other info, is how everyone who see's them admits to having never seen one before, it was my first time seeing one too and i jus wonder why they are considered so common yet remain elusive to even the most prying of eyes, is there a reason for their shyness?
Posted by: jack | 10/06/2009 18:19:54
found six catterpillers in my garden last august they turned into larva and one turned into abeautiful pink moth which i released last week i am now waiting for the rest to change.
Posted by: patricia forrest | 11/05/2009 11:30:25
my parents found 2 on there giant fuscia bushes again like everyone else we had never seen them before and as my parents are quite protective over there plants i took the caterpillars, they lived in a big tank with lots of ventalation and there own potted fuscia. happily they changed into pupae around october and i moved them into a dark cold cuboard to keep them hibernating. and its now febuauary and im getting excited that they will be hatching out in may and then i can set them free. quite excited though! and i was really shocked at there strength! they were quite defensive when they wanted to be
Posted by: Shaima | 11/01/2009 16:06:31
Have a lime tree in the garden. For the last 6 weeks or so, during dry/sunny days, there have been small, yellow, 5mm long caterpillars, seemingly 'floating' underneath the tree. On closer inspection, they all appear to be hanging from a strand of spider web! At the moment, there are about a dozen hanging there, floating in the wind! Not seen them in previous years. Does anyone know what they are? Thanks.
Posted by: Lindsey | 27/09/2008 14:49:50
Found an elephant hawk moth caterpiller while clearing some waste land. It was on a firebush plant. We kept it in a large jar with some of the foodplant, and it has now turned into a beautifully formed pupa. We hope it will eventually turn into a moth, and we will of course release it when it does.
Posted by: john west | 26/09/2008 17:46:03
My cat just tried to play with what I believe to be an elephant hawk moth larva. I took it off her and it crawled onto a leaf. I think it's OK, but wonder what to do now to make sure. I have put it in a large glass container on top of some earth and grass. Should I put it back outside straight away - and does anyone know if it has a favourite plant?
Posted by: Josephine Finzi | 24/09/2008 17:44:51
I found this huge looking caterpillar type thing in the garden this afternoon and called my two children to have a look. My youngest one, who is heavily into nature put it in a jar in the hope that we can keep it alive until she goes to school on Monday. I am glad to have found out what it is.
Posted by: Rob Hamilton | 20/09/2008 21:12:07
Just found on the internet that we have found an elephant hawk moth, was most puzzled as to what it was! Our imagination had us thinking we had found some exotic insect come in off the boats at Portbury Docks! Never seen one before, as previous comments are these insects normally at this time of year? Nearly eaten most of my fuscias. Could anyone tell us where and how to keep it safely till it turns into a moth?
Posted by: muriel sue & tim | 18/09/2008 20:19:25
Like so many of the other comments, I also noticed several of these magnificent creatures in my garden this weekend - I got quite a start when I saw the first one. They were all about three inches long and quite fat, very dark, almost black in colour and what about those eye markings. Magic. Jean. Herefordshire
Posted by: Jean Howard | 15/09/2008 21:37:51
We have also come across two very large Elephant Hawk moths in the lawn, I took several photos, such incredible markings and good to see the moth hasn't been affected by the very wet weather of August. One creature we haven't heard this year, which is a first, are the crickets, in Cornwall they are normally to be heard from mid July onwards but this year not one!
Posted by: beryl langsworthy | 15/09/2008 01:10:09
For the first time in my life I have seen 2 Elephant Hawkmoth larvae on my fuchsias. It was quite frightening at first. We were going to contact a Butterfly farm near us, but after reading other peoples comments, we will just leave them around the fuchsias and hope to see the moth sometime. It looks very pretty. I notice that all the other comments state that it is the first time they have seen the lava. Do you think the recent storms and the wet humid summer have had anything to do with their appearance.
Posted by: Jean Stickland | 14/09/2008 21:24:56
Yesterday lunchtime noticed a very large Caterpillar on my fushia, about the same size as my middle finger. Never ever seen one this big, on further investigation noticed a total of 5. Looked on web and found it to be an Elephant Hawkmoth caterpillar, can't wait for it to turn into moth. How long before this will happen.
Posted by: Chris | 14/09/2008 21:19:26
MY NEIGHBOURS CHILDREN CAME IN TODAY TO ASK US IF WHAT THEY HAD SEEN IN THE ROAD WAS A SNAKE. WHEN MY HUSBAND AND I WENT TO SEE WHAT ALL THE EXCITMENT WAS ABOUT WE REALIZED THAT IT WAS AN ELEPHANT HAKW MOTH.I WENT TO MY GARDEN TO GET A FLOWER POT DISH TO PUT IT IN AND FOUND ANOTHER ONE. I HAD FOUND ONE BEFORE ON MY FUSHIAS BUT IT WAS A LOT BIGGER. THE GIRLS CANT WAIT TO TELL THEIR TEACHERS.
Posted by: GRETA BAKER | 11/09/2008 16:19:27
I've just rescued my cat from one of these hideous looking caterpillars. It was buried in the grass and the cat and two dogs were going berserk. I couldn't see anything at first but once I'd cut the grass there it was. What an ugly little beast. It's now enjoying life on the other side of the fence.
Posted by: Su Baccino | 11/09/2008 15:43:47
As with a comment above, it was my fiesty Cavalier who alerted me to an intruder in the garden late last night. Gathering both flashlight and cudgel I ventured into the dark reccesses of my garden and discovered that Ruby (Cavalier KG) was backing off from a menacing long, dark creature crawling along our back wall; and as it had not retracted it's head I recognised it as the Elephant Hawk Moth larvae. I placed the larvae in a safe place; saving both it and poor Ruby from further distress (normall she takes on all comers). In all my 70 odd years I have seen, in my youth, the imago but this larvae was a first.
Posted by: Scrumbo | 11/09/2008 14:52:46
omg, i thought it was a snake or something. My cat just brought it in but i rescued it from being eaten lol. I now have it in a container and will be shortly returning it into the wild but somewhere my cat wont go. Im gunna take a pic too!
Posted by: Danielle Ridley | 10/09/2008 13:43:32
My husband discovered the larva outside our back door. I was really worried because it looked like a half eaten snake (I am not a lover of snakes) so he put it on the garden. Soon after our cat brought another into the house. This was rescued and also put on the garden. Still worried, I looked for a description on the internet and discovered it was an Elephant Hawkmoth Caterpillar. We have lived here for 26 years and never seen one before. Reading the information it seems that they love fushias (we have many of these in our garden) and will have a futher look when the weather gets better. I would love to see them in their full glory when they develop. But still hoping that the cat does not bring any more of these creatures home!
Posted by: Susan Edwards | 09/09/2008 22:35:42
I found one of these large Elephant hawk larvae in my garden yesterday and was a bit worried because it has a spike on its back and i didn't have a clue what it was. I'm glad i have found out that they are harmless - although i hope i don't find anymore as i have a bit of a fear of moths lol x
Posted by: Aimee Hughes | 09/09/2008 10:33:11
My husband went for a walk in our garden yesterday evening (the first fine evening for a while) and thought he saw some slugs on one of our fuschias, they turned out to be few Elephant Hawk Moth caterpillars. I was so pleased and went to have a look at them, when I counted them there were 11 and I'm so pleased. I just hope we get to see some of the adults moths.
Posted by: Marion Phillips | 09/09/2008 09:31:48
i too saw one of these giant caterpillars for the first time in my life today . the cat had brought it in i too thought it was a half eaten snake due to the marking i rescued it and put it back into the garden it was so nice to find this information and be able to show pictures to my children
Posted by: Julie | 08/09/2008 17:20:39
I had a long fat snake dancing on my grape vine as I picked grapes this afternoon . It mesmerised me with its olive snake charmed dance as I feared it would attempt to bite. Thanks to this web site I realised it was a elephant headed giant hawk moth caterpillar. I cant believe how aggressively it danced and displayed before I manged to tame the beast in a bucket .Phew!
Posted by: ian redgwell | 07/09/2008 23:21:19
wednesday first of all i saw one elephant hawk moth the i saw another one so i thought i had two but today i have seen another two so i have four me and my husband think that they are just lovely i can't wait until they become a beautiful moth
Posted by: sheena foord | 05/09/2008 18:58:34
My mother has found six elephant hawk caterpillars on her fuschia plant. I had never seen one before and they ar amazing. I cant wait for them to turn into beautiful moths.
Posted by: michele | 03/09/2008 16:28:30
My mother rand father inlaw have a elephant hawk moth larva in there back garden feeding on a fuchsia we have been watching him now for several days so I,ve been on line to get some info on them, my father inlaw is retired and an avid gardener and he's never seen one before not even on his allotment.
Posted by: Jackie Johnson | 03/09/2008 15:43:00
I am so pleased to have been able to establish the name of the large caterpillars that have been crawling around my garden and patio for the past week or so. We seem to have both the green and grey/brown varieties. I must admit I was rather taken aback when my son's Jack Russell puppy, Buster, came out of the shrubs at the top of our garden clutching one of the bright green ones in his teeth. Fortunately he dropped it and it seemed none the worse for wear. I have to admit I was a little apprehensive of the darker caterpillars, as they do appear to have large "eyes" that stare at you - quite off putting! I did in fact find a dead large pink moth on the base of my stone birdbath a few weeks ago, and I now know that it was an adult. It was a pity it was dead as it was very pretty and I had not seen anything like it before. I have to admit I shall be pleased to see the last of the caterpillars as they do keep appearing when I am trying to dig the borders!. I am surprised that this is the first time we have ever come across this specie in the 28 years we have lived in our house. Is it due to the particular climate we have experienced this year? Carol Yates, West Midlands
Posted by: Carol Yates | 01/09/2008 10:56:00
Having mown the grass I saw this fat greem thing on the ground. When I touched it it moved so I had a good look. Its burrowed into the soil but from what I saw I think it must be the larva of the Elephant Hawk-moth.Do they burrow? Or have I made the wrong indetification?
Posted by: Simon Rooney | 01/09/2008 10:10:03
I found the hawkhead caterpiller on the patio this morning, near the fuchsias, I Identified it from this website. I will return it to the fathest corner of my garden well away from my fuchsias. I have taken a photograph of it, as I hadn't seen one before. Thankyou for all of your information about this lovely creature.
Posted by: Doreen Jackson | 30/08/2008 15:40:31
I have just been in my garden watering the plants and noticed what I thought to be a slug on a fuscia after looking closely and making further investigations it was a Elephant Hawkmoth. Absolutely beautiful, I've never seen one before. I've left it where it is, but it's devouring my fuscia's!!!
Posted by: Roger Armstrong | 29/08/2008 19:48:32
we found an ele hawk caterpiller on the banks of the river Gt Ouse at Bedford. August 29 2008. Identified then released.
Posted by: jack saunders | 29/08/2008 18:52:47
To my surprise i found an Elephant Hawk Moth Caterpillar today, I have never seen one before, and was quite taken back, i pushed my cat away as she was looking at it longingly, I have placed it close to some foliage and enjoyed watching it munch away. Would love to see it when it turns into the moth.
Posted by: Gaynar Owen | 29/08/2008 17:41:31
re my posting a couple of minutes ago I meant elephant hawk not hawk head moth
Posted by: julie james | 28/08/2008 20:58:40
Today our young paper boy brought to our attention that he thought there was small snakes in the garden. When we went with him I could see there were a couple of large caterpillas on the earth,very well hidden. On closer inspection there were about a dozen that we could see,probably more is this normal. I wasn't sure what they were so have looked up on the internetand have confirmed that they are indeed hawkshead moths larva
Posted by: j james | 28/08/2008 20:54:52
Our cat discovered the larva of an Elephant Hawk Moth under a small Fuschia bush. Forunately we had a friend, Margaret, staying and she identified it. We were able to confirm ID on this Website. It stayed on a hand long enough for photos before being returned to its favoured location! 27.08.08.
Posted by: Hilary Gann | 27/08/2008 22:00:16
Our cat brought something into the house at the week end and I have been trying to identify it. It body length is about 5 cms and wing tip to tip about 6cms. It is dull yellow in colour with 5 or 6 black bands round its body. It also had what looks like little blue eggs attached to its body.It seemes to have 2 huge eyes and a "leathery patch" on the back of its head. I have photos I can forward to anyone interested. Found in West Sussex
Posted by: Frank Carrie | 27/08/2008 17:29:12
My husband has a photo of 2 ermine moths mating (which took a considerable time during the day), one is white ermine and the other is jet black. Is this common, as there is no mention of black as a colour for ermine moths anywhere that we can find?
Posted by: susan.stania | 26/08/2008 13:11:16
I have just seen 2 of these elephant hawk moth creatures in my garden yesterday. At over 60 I wonder why I've never seen one before. It was a bit scary at first, but now I know they are harmless I have put them into the garden as they were marooned on conrete. Interesting to learn about them though.
Posted by: Michael Bannister | 26/08/2008 11:05:37
We had never seen anything like these before. Our dog found one in our yard several days ago. We rescued it and put it in the garden amongst the shrubs. Since then we have had four more appear. Hopefully we'll see the adults in due course.
Posted by: Lesley Newitt | 25/08/2008 20:07:26
I spotted one of the caterpilla's wandering around the patio, then a second. As the evening drew on I spotted another 3 devouring my fuscia. There is not much left of the fuscia but it is worth it to see these creatures.
Posted by: David Palmer | 21/08/2008 22:40:42
My dog found one in our garden this morning. I have never seen anything like it with those scary false eyes. I thought it was some kind of newt at first. Anyway I saved it from my dog and it moved away incredibly fast.
Posted by: felicity cook | 21/08/2008 20:25:12
I found an elephant hawk moth larva it seemed to be eating a snail as it was attached to its shell and there was a hole with snail ooze seeping out.
Posted by: saffron | 21/08/2008 12:52:59
I am 60 years old & have never seen anything like it before.my cat was playing with it in the drive. at first I thought it was a half eaten snake due to the eye markings but on closer examination I realised the eyes were not real & that they must be a deterrant to predators.Because I didn't know what it was I phoned the RSPCA to get some information. they knew immediately what it was from my description. I put it outside on some foliage in the garden as advised by the woman on the phone at the RSPCA. I would love it to develop & come back as I have never seen one. well I saved it's life from the cat so perhaps it will oblige me
Posted by: jean murray | 20/08/2008 18:46:02
