Found this caterpillar today while gardening. I’ve found caterpillars before, but I’ve never seen one as big as today.
All I can imagine is that it’s a caterpillar of the great sunset red butterfly? The caterpillar had 4 segments in the middle of the body with “legs” on it and the last segment also had legs.
The caterpillar also had a distinctive “snout” with a kind of “teeth” that seemed to grab things (seen in the photo: the light brown pointed protrusions), of these “teeth” she had 3 (3 times 2).
From behind, the caterpillar also had a sort of “horn”, like a rhinoceros, pointing backwards.
You can view more photos here:
(the photo shows a toilet roll to get an impression of the size of the caterpillar)
http://nl.tinypic.com/r/2efkfaf/8
http://postimg.org/image/lecnjci8j/
http://postimg.org/image/3quul58b7/
http://nl.tinypic.com/r/ztyq1z/8
http://imgur.com/Z1lEz8g
Answer
Dear Floris,
this is a caterpillar of a pintail, family Sphingidae; and as you yourself indicated, the caterpillar of Deilephila elpenor, great sunset red or sunset red pintail.
kind regards,
Hans
Answered by
Hans Casteels
identification of pest insects in agriculture and horticulture, stock goods and homes
Burg. van Gansberghelaan 96 box 1 9820 Merelbeke
http://www.ilvo.vlaanderen.be
.