found a elephant moth caterpillar

curtreid · #1 (**permalink**) 29-07-2009, 12:18 PM

hi im new to the forum, around 5 mins ago i went outside to see my cats playing with this cacterpillar, it does not seem injured at all, and i was surprised how big it is. i do not have a clue what to do with it or where to put it??

any help will be greatly apreciated.

Dogghound · #2 (**permalink**) 29-07-2009, 12:20 PM

Try and put it near some rosebay willow herb, or other species of willow herbs and bedstraws away from the cats.

curtreid · #3 (**permalink**) 29-07-2009, 12:23 PM

unfortunatly i do not kow these plants. it was on the patio, the plants i do know in the garden is a budlia, acer, and a rhodadendren (sp)

Dogghound · #4 (**permalink**) 29-07-2009, 12:27 PM

Railway weed? tall with long leaves, purple flowers? If not probrably best to place it away from the cats in the garden.

curtreid · #5 (**permalink**) 29-07-2009, 12:29 PM

okidoke. ile do that, thanks for the help

Jenny W · #6 (**permalink**) 29-07-2009, 12:36 PM

If it's wandering around away from foodplant it sounds like it's about to pupate and looking for somewhere suitable. As Dogghound says, if you have no foodplant suitable, put it away from the cats amongst leaflitter, they pupate on the ground in leaflitter/lose soil/dried vegetation.

Scarlet Pimpernel · #7 (**permalink**) 29-07-2009, 10:16 PM

Will eat fuschia too, I have just successfully got one through to pupation feeding it on fuschia and willowherb. It eventually settled between the paper towels and pupated!