Creature from the jungle - not!

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peteroldracer
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Creature from the jungle - not!

Postby peteroldracer » Fri Nov 30, 2007 9:42 pm

If I have managed the photobucket thingy ok, there should be below pictures of a caterpillar that was munching my jasmine today. The photos do not show the size of the thing, which was bigger than my middle finger - honest!
What sort of butterfly will this become? A thing like a crow, or a buzzard?!! :D
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ron
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Postby ron » Fri Nov 30, 2007 10:20 pm

looks like some sort of hawk moth
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Don

Postby Don » Fri Nov 30, 2007 10:30 pm

Certainly could be

Image

From http://www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk
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costapacket
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Postby costapacket » Fri Nov 30, 2007 11:05 pm

I think Don's right. More info here http://www.geocities.com/brisbane_moths/SPHINGIDAE.htm
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peteroldracer
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Postby peteroldracer » Sat Dec 01, 2007 12:04 am

That sure looks like the one - made me realise just how strong Biggins was to eat a witchetee grub!
I used to cough to disguise a [email protected] I f@rt to disguise a cough.
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Don

Postby Don » Sat Dec 01, 2007 11:34 am

Well ... Ron was right first, I just confirmed.
We do have hummingbird hawk moths in our garden and apparently there are many different hawk moths, but the size of their pupae is amazing.
It makes one wonder how beneficial or damaging they are in the garden. We have what we call giant grasshoppers - just like the small ones but about 10 cms long - and we wonder what they eat. We have one now seemingly starting to hibernate behind some trellis.

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The sparrows love to chase and eat them when they are out and about.
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ron
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Postby ron » Sat Dec 01, 2007 7:00 pm

We found one in a garden nursery. It was very similar but very light green with purple stripes(no I had not been on anything :wink: )
It was over 2inches long and half an inch wide. It was a privet hawk moth.
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Sadie
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Postby Sadie » Sun Dec 02, 2007 2:18 pm

my doggie loves to chase them too and has fallen in the pool doing so, he is a good swimmer :)
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costapacket
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Postby costapacket » Sun Dec 02, 2007 5:25 pm

Sorry Ron, I think I got distracted by Don's picture :oops:
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Postby ron » Sun Dec 02, 2007 7:28 pm

No probs costa.
Peter here's a couple of pics to show what my caterpillar could grow into(120mm wingspan :shock: )
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peteroldracer
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Postby peteroldracer » Sun Dec 02, 2007 9:06 pm

Blood and Sand - as my old auntie used to say!!
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