Hello,

I noticed a horrible "thing" in the garden today and wondered if someone
could identify it from the following description.

This "thing" was moving on top of the soil, was about 3.5 inches long and
the thickness of a mans little finger. Brown and black in colour and moved
like a caterpillar but looks like a cross between a slug and a
caterpillar.Thought I saw several feet but this could be my imagination
working overtime.!

I attacked this "thing" with a fork and split it in two, not a pretty sight,
put down some slug pellets not knowing what else to try in the hopes they
would finish "it" off.

Anyone any ideas ?
Thanks.

M

It might have been the caterpillar of the entirely harmless elephant hawk
moth. Pity you killed it, really.

Fogey

"M" _&_.com wrote in message
.. .
Hello,

I noticed a horrible "thing" in the garden today and wondered if someone
could identify it from the following description.

This "thing" was moving on top of the soil, was about 3.5 inches long and
the thickness of a mans little finger. Brown and black in colour and moved
like a caterpillar but looks like a cross between a slug and a
caterpillar.Thought I saw several feet but this could be my imagination
working overtime.!

I attacked this "thing" with a fork and split it in two, not a pretty
sight,
put down some slug pellets not knowing what else to try in the hopes they
would finish "it" off.

Anyone any ideas ?
Thanks.

M

"M" _&_.com wrote in message
.. .
Hello,

I noticed a horrible "thing" in the garden today and wondered if someone
could identify it from the following description.

This "thing" was moving on top of the soil, was about 3.5 inches long and
the thickness of a mans little finger. Brown and black in colour and moved
like a caterpillar but looks like a cross between a slug and a
caterpillar.Thought I saw several feet but this could be my imagination
working overtime.!

I attacked this "thing" with a fork and split it in two, not a pretty
sight,
put down some slug pellets not knowing what else to try in the hopes they
would finish "it" off.

Anyone any ideas ?
Thanks.
Yes. You are a dipstick. You probably killed a rather beautiful caterpillar
and now with your slug pellets are going to kill several hedgehogs,
blackbirds and thrushes.

"M" _&_.com wrote in message
.. .
Hello,

I noticed a horrible "thing" in the garden today and wondered if someone
could identify it from the following description.

This "thing" was moving on top of the soil, was about 3.5 inches long and
the thickness of a mans little finger. Brown and black in colour and moved
like a caterpillar but looks like a cross between a slug and a
caterpillar.Thought I saw several feet but this could be my imagination
working overtime.!

I attacked this "thing" with a fork and split it in two, not a pretty
sight,
put down some slug pellets not knowing what else to try in the hopes they
would finish "it" off.

Anyone any ideas ?
Thanks.

M

From the other posts you have probably realised that your actions in killing
this creature and putting down slug pellets was not the best option.

It does sound like the Elephant Hawk moth caterpillar, the moth itself is
one of the largest we have in the UK and the caterpillar is correspondingly
large.

Please, please in future try to find out what you are dealing with before
you destroy it.
It really is not difficult to tell the difference between a slug and a
caterpillar.

If you can get yourself a book on common garden insects and animals and get
to know what is what, you will find you will live much easier with the
creatures around you.
Best wishes
Tom

From the other posts you have probably realised that your actions in
killing
this creature and putting down slug pellets was not the best option.

It does sound like the Elephant Hawk moth caterpillar, the moth itself is
one of the largest we have in the UK and the caterpillar is
correspondingly
large.

Please, please in future try to find out what you are dealing with before
you destroy it.
It really is not difficult to tell the difference between a slug and a
caterpillar.

If you can get yourself a book on common garden insects and animals and
get
to know what is what, you will find you will live much easier with the
creatures around you.
Best wishes
Tom

I agree it does look like the "Elephant Hawk Moth" caterpillar and if I had
known what it was at the time I would not have taken the action I did.

Working in this garden for 30 years I had never seen anything like it before
(of this size) so immediately thought it must be something (bad) bought on
by this years weather conditions.

Thanks to everyone for identifying it.

M.

On 11/9/04 19:43, in article , "M"
_&_.com wrote:

snip

I agree it does look like the "Elephant Hawk Moth" caterpillar and if I had
known what it was at the time I would not have taken the action I did.

Working in this garden for 30 years I had never seen anything like it before
(of this size) so immediately thought it must be something (bad) bought on
by this years weather conditions.

Thanks to everyone for identifying it.

They're not extremely common here but last year's hot end to the summer
seemed to encourage them. Can I suggest that *please* in future, you get an
ID before killing something? There's a story about a slightly ditsy girl
who ran next door to her neighbours saying there was some horrible bug in
her house. It turned out to be a huge moth or somesuch which was caught and
put out of the window, safely. She thanked them saying "If I'd known it was
harmless I'd have killed it myself." ;-(
--

Sacha

"Tom Warner" wrote in message
...

big snip
Please, please in future try to find out what you are dealing with
before
you destroy it.
It really is not difficult to tell the difference between a slug and
a
caterpillar.

............ in general.
Have you seen a Pear-slug?
The larva of the Caliroa cerasi Sawfly, complete with six thoracic
legs and many rudimentary prolegs - very caterpillarish - in a sluggy
way.
(On the 'Other Insects' page of a web-site near here.

--
ned

http://www.bugsandweeds.co.uk
last update 09.09.2004

"ned" wrote in message ...

"Tom Warner" wrote in message
...

big snip
Please, please in future try to find out what you are dealing with
before
you destroy it.
It really is not difficult to tell the difference between a slug and
a
caterpillar.

........... in general.
Have you seen a Pear-slug?
The larva of the Caliroa cerasi Sawfly, complete with six thoracic
legs and many rudimentary prolegs - very caterpillarish - in a sluggy
way.

Theres always an exception. However my comment that a more intimate
knowledge of the common insects/animals will allow a better understanding of
their relationship with your garden still stands.

Being able to identify a creature, even in a general way, may help to foster
an interest in the more unusual animals that one may come across.

If this helps to counter the "I didn't know what it was so I killed it"
attitude that seems so common these days then so much the better.
Best wishes
Tom

On Fri, 10 Sep 2004 20:06:24 +0100, "M" _&_.com wrote:


I noticed a horrible "thing" in the garden today and wondered if someone
could identify it from the following description.

This "thing" was moving on top of the soil, was about 3.5 inches long and
the thickness of a mans little finger. Brown and black in colour and moved
like a caterpillar but looks like a cross between a slug and a
caterpillar.Thought I saw several feet but this could be my imagination
working overtime.!

You are not alone in not recognising it, as someone asked a question
about it on GQT this afternoon.
I am still wondering how anyone could confuse a caterpillar with a
slug. One has 6 legs plus suckers, the other has no legs at all.
As previoulsly advised, exercise caution when next you see something
new.

Pam in Bristol