Moth on fuschia

[gotham]

We found this in our fuschia this morning - an Elephant moth Caterpillar. Next year, around May, it will turn into this gorgeous creature.

[rockpaperscissor]

Nice photography. Definitely an interesting looking caterpillar, and a beautiful moth.

[gotham]

Would love to see the moth, but the Caterpillar is something to see as is. Photos were taken on my Samsung Galaxy tablet.

[rmks2000]

I dug up this pic of a luna moth on our doorstep a couple of years back. They don't have mouths and exist just to breed. I think that there life span at this stage is 10 days.

[Amccombs3]

My, what big eyes you have (false eyes on the caterpillar). All the better to scare the predators away.

[gotham]

Yeah, it's like 'I'm big and scary - please don't eat me !'
The head is actually retracted in these pics. When left well alone, it's like a tortoise and the head and 'neck' come out. Isn't Nature a wonderful thing. To think that over Winter it will 'melt' into another form, amazing !

[whulsey]

Gotham, great looking caterpillar. Hope you get to see the moth next spring.

[gotham]

We hope so too - we check on the caterpillar every day, to make sure it's still there. At the moment, it is munching through the fuschias quite happily, seems to love the young, unopened flowerheads.