On 12/8/05 20:19, in article , "Kay"
wrote:

In article , Sacha
writes
snip
No, sorry. None of those. I remember saying to Ray that this looked like
something out of Alice in Wonderland because it was so large and its
colouring so vivid, garish even.

Emperor moth, 60 mm, fat, bright green, black stripes running around at
intervals with very conspicuous yellow spots on them, feeds on heather?
I know that's ot 3-4inches, but it's big for a caterpillar.

Could be, maybe! I'd think that the 'feeds on heather' is a good indicator.
But the one we saw was definitely much longer, very fat (Ray reckons his
middle finger's circumference) and the yellow spots were not only very
yellow but in pairs at regular intervals up and across the body from what I
recall. The illustration I Googled of an Emperor Moth shows the spots as not
very yellow and not in pairs.
If I get the chance I might go up there again on Sunday and take another
look in that area. What irks me now is that I had my mobile with me and it
takes photos. I was so dog-occupied at the time that I didn't think of it.
And the other day in one of the poly tunnels two people saw another small,
brown caterpillar exactly imitating a twig. As they touched it, it sort of
reared up and took on another 'twig shape'.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)