Anyone Come Across One Of These B4?

[maiphedmaiaroi]

Found it in the garden last month.

[IanForbes]

I've seen them but don't recall their name. It eventually hatches into a flying bug. The big, fake eyes are natures way of protecting it, making predators think it's dangerous. Thans for the pictures.

[Boater]

looks like a toy

[Tywais]

Appears to be a Sphynx Moth Caterpillar

[IanForbes]

Good find, Twais. I think you are correct. Nature paints eye spots on all sorts of creatures to confuse predators...

[bkkjames]

It's mothra-remember those old godzilla movies!

[LennyW]

Have you ever seen them eating !!!! My god they tear through the plants in no time!!!

[IMA_FARANG]

Don't know the name, but that's a fascinating example of protective mimicry.

You have to understand those fake "eyes" are on it's rear end.

Any potential predator would think twice about taking on something that big and dangerous looking...that's what the fake eyes are for.

And if it did try, it would probably go for what it thought was the "head".

That would at least give a chance for the prey to get away.

Nature figured that out long ago.

[Willeyeam]

It is a caterpillar, a very destructive caterpillar. If you get these on your plants they will eat absolutely every piece of greenery you have! They grow to about 4 inches long, and deposit huge ammounts of black feces everywhere. If you have them on your plants, the tell tale sign is what looks like small black pellets all around the base of your plants (shi_t) Kill them, kill them all!

[IMA_FARANG]

It's mothra-remember those old godzilla movies!

-----------------

No, Mothra was the giant Moth God of a small island in the Pacific.

It was worshiped by the tribe that lived there and protected them from strangers.

I watched that Japanese Science Fiction movie more than 50 years ago!

I still remember the island girls in that movie dancing and singing in front of Mothra, "Mothra-la, ...... Mothra-la"

Then a group of Japanese scientists came and captured one to take back to Japan.

So Mothra flew to Tokyo to rescue one of his family, and smashed the skyscrapers there with it's giant Moth wings while hundreds of Japanese ran around screaming.

Still remember that from over 50 years ago.

Okay that's

[bkkjames]

As a kid more than 30 yrs ago I seemed to recall godzilla taking on a moth type thing like that-great stuff!

[BuckarooBanzai]

Likely a member of Xylophanes tersa. A Moth.

http://www.silkmoths.bizland.com/xterster.htm

Look down toward end of page for similar caterpillar.

[maiphedmaiaroi]

Ive been told its the caterpillar of the spicebush swallowtail butterfly

[maiphedmaiaroi]

Don't know the name, but that's a fascinating example of protective mimicry.

You have to understand those fake "eyes" are on it's rear end.

Any potential predator would think twice about taking on something that big and dangerous looking...that's what the fake eyes are for.

And if it did try, it would probably go for what it thought was the "head".

That would at least give a chance for the prey to get away.

Nature figured that out long ago.

Im sure the eyes are on its front as its mouth is below them. It ate half of a leave the size of a large plate when i found it, Had about 5 last year attack a plant and completely destroyed it. Im sure those ones had blue eyes though. could be wrong about that though.

[Gippy]

One of them ate one of my mature eggplant bushes in 2 days, it's unbelievable the amount of greens they can get through. Lucky for me the cats have decided they are tasty to eat and problem solved.

[slapout]

One of them ate one of my mature eggplant bushes in 2 days, it's unbelievable the amount of greens they can get through. Lucky for me the cats have decided they are tasty to eat and problem solved.

We have some scrubs they enjoy. A couple days and they strip each plant. They seem to feed in late evening and can be picked off and binned then. The tell tail sign of small pellets (black) excrement below their feeding place is the first sign, then the leaves disappear and its on to the next one.

[BuckarooBanzai]

Ive been told its the caterpillar of the spicebush swallowtail butterfly

It very well could be as the body shape closely matches but I did not see any of the swallowtail caterpillars without additional body art (markings).

[chinnotes]

It's the caterpillar of the Oleander Hawk Moth, its scientific name is Daphnis nerii. This species lives in Africa until South East Asia, it regularly migrates from North Africa to Europe, even to Great Britain, but cannot survive in winter. In Thailand it is not rare...

Erwin

[BuckarooBanzai]

It's the caterpillar of the Oleander Hawk Moth, its scientific name is Daphnis nerii. This species lives in Africa until South East Asia, it regularly migrates from North Africa to Europe, even to Great Britain, but cannot survive in winter. In Thailand it is not rare...

Erwin

First moth in camouflaged army attire I've seen. Think your right. Neat looking moth.

[Sheryl]

I have them too

I've been told they are the larvae of the "Death's Head Moth"

whatevcer the correct name, they look like something from outer space and have an incredible appetite. They can decimate a garden in a matter of days.

[F1fanatic]

I appreciate knowing what they are too as I get them frequently on one of my white-flowered shrubs (have no idea of the name of the shrub).

As others have said, they completely strip the plant, but fortunately my shrub grows new leaves and the cycle continues (time and time again), even though I have never killed any of the caterpillars.

They left my other plants/shrubs alone though.

[sbk]

Probably a Dok Rak, they love those F1. It can kill weak plants so I tend to pick them off and then throw them in a jungly area.