Identifing an amazing caterpillar we saw today, where/how can i find out what t is?

[autopilot]

In a supermarket car park today some people had come aross a strange caterpillar. I have never seen anything like it, and no one (even old people who know about this kind of thing) could say they have ever seen one before. It most have come from abroad some how.

It was very big, had pink skin and a odd bright blue spike like a tail or fin stick up on its rear.

i have googled, but these days i find google a nightmare, there is just to much random info.

What i need is somewhere with lots of picures. Such a place must exist. Any ideas?

[ajbrun]

Did none of you have a camera phone or anything then?

[Howard]

I have a feeling I saw something similar a while ago..!

[obvious]

The hummingbird hawk moth caterpillar has a blue tail horn. Here's a link (PDF) :- http://www.butterfly-conservation.or..._Hawk-moth.pdf but the rest of the description doesn't really match. Perhaps they come in different colours

[autopilot]

Only had my MDA with me, the 1.3 MP camera is terrible, you can never get a decent focus.

[xbo]

googling for something like this is going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack!!

Good luck finding out what it is!!

[daverobev]

http://ukmoths.org.uk/index.php try emailing?

Genius website name... http://www.whatsthiscaterpillar.co.uk/

http://www.uksafari.com/caterpillars.htm

[autopilot]

Thanks daverobev, i am 99% sure it was this one - http://www.javajane.co.uk/Hawk%20Sph..._hawkmoth.html

How cute!

[mp3c]

weard looking thing isnt it probably came out of the abroad produce like the bananas or things like that. probably droped out of a box when they was unloading or something

[Howard]

Thanks daverobev, i am 99% sure it was this one - http://www.javajane.co.uk/Hawk%20Sph..._hawkmoth.html

How cute!

THATS IT!! I've seen one of those before! Years ago, mind.

It was wierd

[Steve]

Thanks daverobev, i am 99% sure it was this one - http://www.javajane.co.uk/Hawk%20Sph..._hawkmoth.html

How cute!

Isn't that a Combine Advisor?

[kempez]

Like this:



Scared the crap outta my mate the other day

[Steve]

WTF! I'd run like hell from that, no matter how small it was.

[kempez]

Apparently it was about the size of an adult male forfinger

[Howard]

WHAT THE HELL!? That thing is half cute, half scary!

[kidzer]

Is that real?

It looks a bit like a stuffed sock to me!