Identify this caterpillar?

[Ambriel]

Can anyone identify this caterpillar?

It was photographed by an associate of mine and no-one seems to know what it is:



The picture was taken in Oban on the west coast of Scotland in September of this year.

[Mrs Marley]

Almost certainly an hawkmoth of some kind but the nearest I can find is a Spurge Hawkmoth which it is not.

[Oy]

Originally Posted by Mrs Marley

Almost certainly an hawkmoth of some kind but the nearest I can find is a Spurge Hawkmoth which it is not.

LOL! I was just gonna post exactly that!

[Garden Carpet]

I would say it was a Hawk Moth of some sort... I looked on the best moth site but couldnt find anything like it... try UKmoths.org

[GuyF]

It looks like an elephant hawkmoth but the colours are all wrong, and the tail spike is too long. I've never seen anything like it.

[Wild-Woman]

Although it's not, the closest I can find in Jim Porters is the Silver-striped Hawk-moth. Could it be an escapee from a collection?
Nice one though. A beauty.

Julie

[Dan Salter]

Ok i have spent an hour of half going through the lewington moth book, mtohs uk, whats this caterpillar.com and then onto any dam caterpillar moth site worldwide and even allowing for colour variations ( i see green elephant hawkmoth cats and brown ones) it doesnt match anything i have seen? even foreign?

im not feeling even elephant hawkmoth? not just diff colours but the markings are not right...the eyes different and stripes etc

are we all agreeing this one is charcoal grey/black with red eyes down the middle, possibly white or lime green striping and yellow black eyes at the inflating end?


im purplexed.
oh and its deffo not a spurge either?
god knows? sorry!..... i tried.

[Wild-Woman]

OK. I'm bumping this again. I want to know what it is! I been on so many sites from here to Aus trying to find out. I think it may be a Hippotion sp. I'm certain it's not of this country.How it got to Scotland intrigues me too. Possibly imported on flowers? Fruit/veg-I don't know.So come on WABbers-lets google together for some answers.
Frustrated WW

[Dan Salter]

julie thats as close as i have got with that hippotion jobby then i went looking further and lost the site i saw it on.....but its still wasnt "Right" was it?


im intrigued too....i think i have been through every hawk moth i can find and beyond?

perhaps someone caught it and airbrushed it to freak us out?

[Dan Salter]

Ok im going to have to give up on this soon i have spent hours? Come on people? why is no one else trying or finding it exciting?

The closest i have got is HIPPOTION ROSETTA
http://tpittaway.tripod.com/china/h_ros.htm

but its NOT one of those i know its not.


i just dont know.....maybe it is a strange coloured elephant hawkmoth caterpillar after all but im not convinced i have viewed hundreds of elephant hawkmoth caterpillars tonight and NONE were that colour combo?

Dan