Privet Hawk Moth Caterpillar

Even the most squeamish couldn't help but be fascinated by this beastie. It's huge and very cute. Nose to tail it's over 80mm, which is larger than my middle finger. By the way it's munching, it still has a bit to grow.

My friend, with a good eye, came running in with this yesterday after she found it on her Lilac. It may just lodge with me until next year as they aren't difficult to keep happy. Not just the largest caterpillar in the UK, when it transforms into a fully fledged Privet Hawk Moth, Sphinx ligustri, it will become the largest and, arguably, one of the most beautiful moths in the UK.

Found mostly in chalky areas of the south, these caterpillars feed on the abundant Privet that grows there. Other food plants are Lilac, Ash or Guelder Rose. The horn on it's bum is natures design to imitate the thorn of a plant. It's soft and can't inflict any sting or pain. It will eventually climb down off it's host plant and bury itself under leaf litter to pupate into an enormous chrysalis from which it will emerge as a moth next June. The moths will live for up to five weeks but, despite their supersize, are so well camouflaged that they are rarely seen.

The only disconcerting habit of this caterpillar is that what goes in one end, in copious amounts, has to come out of the other. It's feces look like hand grenades, the size if blueberries!

Nice find for my 600th entry!