In article ,
Aileen Howard wrote:
Thanks for the replies, I think it probably was a disturbed hawkmoth
chrysalis, having been 'googling' at 'orrible things on the Net. Our
neighbour's old apple tree overhangs our patio at the bottom of the garden,
and they never pick the fruit, which falls off onto our side. Because they
don't do anything to care for the tree, the apples are always diseased and
we throw them away. My guess is that as one of the bigger apples fell
through the branches, it dislodged the pupa, which fell onto the crazy
paving and was making for the soil when I happened to see it.

The legs on a millipede are very obvious, and that could only be
a tropical one - even then, 4" is a bit short for 1/2" diameter.

All I can say is that if that is the size of the pupa, I hope I don't
encounter the moth when it emerges!!

My daughter came to me saying "There is a moth the size of a sparrow
in my room". Nah. Only a wren :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.