Morris Minor Owners Club

I found this creature today on the pavement, I put it somewhere safe. It will become a Vine hawk moth.
What a beauty!

Yes Phil, I was surprised after doing some research, that the species found its way from hotter climates. I think I have seen the actual moth before with pink areas on its body. It makes me think about life. Why would anyone want to destroy it. Further info from an organisation I contacted earlier, and have just received, suggests it may in fact be an Elephant hawk moth caterpillar, which resembles an elephants trunk. Both caterpillars are quite similar.

I think that the mock eye spots are to make it look like a snake, to deter predators. Nature is quite amazing.

Snap!
Taken last year almost to the day. I added a tape measure for scale. Coincidentally I have only ever taken one photo of a moth and that was 40 years ago and it was a lovely pink Hawk Moth.
Regards John

I would love to see it evolve into a moth.

Well would you believe it ! Thanks for posting John, made my day.
A moth emerging, yes an incredible thing.

The only time I've seen one of those was about 5-6 yrs ago, it was on the plants in my pond. No sign of it the next day, perhaps it became a snack...
Huge thing, size of a man's finger.

Les a moth emerging where

I have not seen one this year but in the last few years our garden here in central Germany has been visited by what Looks like a small hummingbird but is in fact an insect which normally lives in southern Europe but when the weather is warm enough, sometimes get across the alps. I did take a Picture but cannot find it at the Moment - later perhaps.

Sounds like a humming bird hawk moth, we had one sipping from a lavender plant early in the summer - in the Northwest of England I took a short video, I'll see if I can post it.

Not very clear as shot through the french windows on my phone, but there it is. Can't embed the vid so here's the link.

https://i.imgur.com/tGyVWaM.mp4

Wow what lovely photos and video captures of natures beauties. The caterpillars are marvellous but the little insect resembling a humming bird is awesome. Thanks for posting them.

It captures nature doing its own thing, nice to see, I didn’t realise there was a moth that could hover like that. So many species to wonder at, all have their place and interact to help the planet survive. Pity we can’t join them.

Amazing, just like a mini humming bird, thanks for posting that Mr Attenborough, oops I mean Panky

That's a brilliant video and a lovely creature

It's amazing what a slightly wild garden with a variety of flowers and a pond attracts. Make your own micro ecosystem and sit back to watch. Sometimes quite scary as well, like the time a female sparrow hawk took a wood pigeon off the garage roof and crash landed right in front of the wife