black caterpillar id please???

bondijupiter · #1 (**permalink**) 04-09-2010, 08:16 AM

Hi,

I've been finding a whole host of mutant bugs in my garden lately (bright red woodlouse, white furry spiders, worms the size of small snakes that climb walls), but last night I saw a mammoth caterpillar (about the size of a chipolata). It was completely black and sausage like, with a pointy thin head and a fat stubby rear end. Near the rear end were what looked like two large spines coming out from the sides. I've looked at all the popular caterpillars and can't find it anywhere...

By the time I fetched my camera, it had gone.

I'm fascinated to learn what this was... I've never seen anything like it before!

Many thanks from a bug novice!

xSarahx · #2 (**permalink**) 04-09-2010, 12:10 PM

could it be an elephant hawkmoth caterpillar?

I'm confused by it having 2 spines on it's rear end...

k4t3 · #3 (**permalink**) 04-09-2010, 03:21 PM

I agree, sounds like a pupating EHM but again the 2 spine thing a bit confusing...

JackintheGreen · #4 (**permalink**) 05-09-2010, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bondijupiter

Hi,

I've been finding a whole host of mutant bugs in my garden lately (bright red woodlouse, white furry spiders, worms the size of small snakes that climb walls), but last night I saw a mammoth caterpillar (about the size of a chipolata).

Are you sure you've not been smoking any strange herbs?

bondijupiter · #5 (**permalink**) 05-09-2010, 05:34 PM

Nooo, no wacky backy passed this way of late

. But seriously, a red woodlouse? 2 white furry spiders in my coal bin? And worms about 2 foot long that can climb walls!! I do live near a power plant... not Cellafield just in case you were wondering!

I've looked up images of the elephant hawk moth, and it's about the right size, but the EHM seems to have a fat head with 2 eyes? This one's head tapered down to a point, and was black all over. It had a stubby square rear end, and a spine each side of it's rear end (two spines...). There were no markings on it at all...

If it was an EHM, will it grow into that lovely pink moth I've seen on google? I've never seen one of those before...

Anders152 · #6 (**permalink**) 05-09-2010, 06:12 PM

What about Puss moth larva? I know they turn really dark (though not sure about black) when they're about to pupate and have the two spines and square end...