horned caterpillar

[lenniew]

Can someone please identify this green monster, which has eaten my young apple tree? It's about 2.5" long. Thanks Lenniew

[Trev Sawyer]

Looks like an Eyed Hawk Moth caterpillar Lenniew

Trev

[lenniew]

Thanks Trev. I don't know anything about moths and butterflies, so I've put this thing in a box with plenty of leaves, to see what it turns out to be. Lenniew

[Padfield]

Hi Lennie. If you do choose to take responsibility for this little fellow, bear in mind it will be a fairly long commitment as he would be expected to emerge in May or June next year.

The caterpillar will need fresh apple leaves (they do use other hosts, like sallow, birch, &c., but will not take just any old leaves) and at least 10cm of earth to pupate in. Normally, if kept in the right conditions, the chrysalis will hibernate in the soil. The caterpillar will go walkies before pupation to look for the best place to see him through the winter. In Switzerland (where I live) they sometimes hibernate twice, emerging not the following year but the year after that. I expect that happens in the UK too. Rearing a caterpillar through takes quite a bit of thought and preparation, even in the case of relatively easy species like hawk moths.

Guy

[lenniew]

Thanks Guy. You've just saved the life of this brute. I'll move him to an apple tree on our local golf course, where he can eat his heart out. There are not enough leaves left on my tree to see him fed for this year. Lenniew