Elephant Hawk-moth larva

We seem to be a day or two behind most wildlife spotters at the moment!

I had seen several pictures of this rather handsome Elephant Hawk-moth larva on social media, and had remarked to David how interesting it would be to see one. I would also like to see the adult moth with its pink and green-gold markings.

Well, he took a parcel to the letterbox yesterday, passing some rough ground with a clump of Rosebay Willow Herb, and came back with these photos, which he has allowed me to share.  

One website compared the length of this caterpillar to an adult's finger, and the centimetre rule in the photo above will give a more accurate picture. The distinctive eye-like markings help to ward off potential predators: there is a good feature on 'fake eyes' here. 

David revisited the waste ground today, and made a short video of the larva munching away, which you can see here.