Big caterpillar, black/brown, west. Norway (can I keep it?)

[CommonBlue]

Hello there!
I just found a huge caterpillar an hour ago or so, and I have not been able to identify it. Unfortunately, I have only a cell phone to take pictures with - but I think if you know the species you'll still recognize it. It's fairly big, I'd say around 10 cm (possibly longer) when it stretches, with four black and purple dots (two on each side, around the torso). I found it in Western Norway around Bergen. And would anyone know what it feeds, and if it's possible to keep it in a somewhat improvised terrarium, to watch it's metamorphosis (next spring i presume)?

Pictures at Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/njaaln/6056841928/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/njaaln/6056841424/

[Pete Eeles]

Elephant Hawk-moth, the same as your avatar

Fuchsia or willowherb!

Cheers,

- Pete

[CommonBlue]

Elephant Hawk-moth, the same as your avatar

Fuchsia or willowherb!

Cheers,

- Pete

Really? Haha, wow. My profile picture was taken in Germany, had no idea they lived in Western Norway too. Thanks Pete!

[Michaeljf]

Keep in mind that if you provide both foodplants and it still doesn't look interested, and just does a lot of walking...it's probably ready to pupate rather than eat. Elephant Hawkmoths pupate amongst the leaf litter / moss on the ground, so make sure that there is some soil, moss and dried leaves at the bottom of your terrarium. If it pupates amongst that leave it alone to do it's business for at least a week, as it will construct a shelter from the plant rubbish.

I love these caterpillars, as I remember seeing plenty in my youth and I still do see them locally if I am lucky (normally feeding on Rosebay Willow-herb, but as mentioned, can feed on Fuschia and other types of Willow-herb too).

Michael

[Philzoid]

I love these caterpillars, as I remember seeing plenty in my youth and I still do see them locally if I am lucky (normally feeding on Rosebay Willow-herb, but as mentioned, can feed on Fuschia and other types of Willow-herb too).

This is a caterpillar that occasionally is reported in local newspapers with the finder thinking they have come across a little snake . I love this caterpillar too and in the past I've reared quite a few. Most are brown but there are green, last instar forms too. If you do have a wandering caterpillar that is looking to pupate and you want to observe its behaviour, a simple way is to use a clean margarine tub or clear plastic box stuffed with tissue paper. Eventually the caterpillar stops wandering and makes a loose cocoon in the tissue. During this whole process it deposits loose frass and fluids and shrinks down to an immobile pre-pupal state. At this stage you can remove the covering tissues and if you are lucky, observe it cast off it final larval skin to become a pupa. I've never lost one by this method, and I consider it is by far the most easiest to rear and robust of all the Hawk-moths .