caterpillar?

[Mimi111]

Not really sure if it's a caterpillar or not. My girls found it outside and are keeping it in a bucket with leaves and twigs! I can't believe I'm photographing bugs...but this was just so interesting. Btw, it's name is Jane.

[SmartWombat]

Yes, looks like a Hawk Moth caterpillar.
This one should be easy to identify in a book of moths.
Then that should list the usual food plants.

The problem is finding the right leaves for it to eat.

It is eating the leaves you've given it ?
If not, do they know exactly where they found it?
Was it on a plant?
- try that one.

If it was wandering about in the road, or on concrete?
Then it's nor a rare concrete-eating caterpillar.
It's on the way somewhere, possibly looking to pupate.

In which case some twigs for it to climb and pupate, or scattered leaves in the bottom if it's a ground pupa, will be great.

I hope you manage to keep the pupa through the winter and have the joy of seeing it hatch, transformed, next year.
Or the year after. If it doesn't emerge, don't give up. Some will stay in the pupa two years as insurance against a bad year of weather.

I raised a couple of dozen Emperor Moth caterpillars similar size to this, and one waited two years, the rest emerged next year.

[Mimi111]

Paul, thanks for that great info. I'm going to do some research now and see what else I can find out. It would be a neat experience for them to see it go through the stages and then emerge as a moth.

[OldClicker]

Great shot of the mimicry camouflage with those 'eyes'. – TF

[SmartWombat]

The eyes are for distraction when attacked.
Protects the real head which is tucked underneath.
Elephant hawk moth does the same, but has 4 spots not two, and no yellow band.

[Mimi111]

Well, it seems that 'Jane', the hawk moth caterpillar did not appreciate her new digs too much and moved on. Too bad as I was thinking of doing a whole series of shots recording the stages of it's life cycle.

[SmartWombat]

I remember seeing the Elephant Hawk Moth caterpillar #1 when I was about 10, on the road by a privet hedge.
Wish I'd known then what I knew 8 years later, the Emperor Moth #3 is the species that I raised form caterpillar to moth.

You see the females are larger than the males - they're egg carrying and laying machines !
A hundred or so eggs out of one little thing smaller than your thumb.
Also the little males have more feathery antennae for hunting out the females' perfume.

Oh, techy stuff.
Olympus EP-1
1/60 f/4 14mm ISO 200
Program mode - handheld with single fluorescent lamp.

I'm getting to like this camera.

[paulnj]

Very cool caterpillar indeed! Too bad it moved on, but atleast you got to enjoy it for that brief period of time.