Scotland has some exotic wee beasties like this Poplar Hawkmoth Caterpillar - although it wasn't so wee.
It was about three inches long and as thick as my little finger!
I spotted this one at the side of a building on an Edinburgh industrial estate. I rushed to get the camera and macro lens from my workplace - and then had the tricky job of trying to get close for a photo, but at the same time trying not to get too close because it looked a bit scary!
Well I'd never seen anything like the Poplar Hawkmoth Caterpillar before - but it seems they are not scary at all....
.....and I'm a big fearty!
2 Comments
Suzanne Thoams
Hello, that’s a Poplar Hawk moth caterpillar 🙂 we rescued some exposed eggs this year during lockdown, laid by a Poplar, and they grew into what you have there, Not poisonous, just amazing! Elephant Hawk Moth caterpillars look like an elephant’s trunk with eyes!
scotlens
Thanks for the info – I’ll update the page. I’d never seen one before, but when I googled “big green caterpillar”, that’s what came up – obviously someone else got it wrong too :0)