"Corporal Jones" wrote in message
...
I have had an abundance of caterpillars in the garden this year eating
everything in sight but even I could not hurt this one.
A 3" long Elephant hawk moth caterpillar crawled across the drive whilst I
was cutting the front garden hedge, picked it up and it's trunk retracted
just leaving two apparent large eyes looking at me with a sympatheticlook.
Took it across the drive and let it go on its way (probably to my
Fuchsias).

The Greater Elephant Hawk moth feeds largely on Rosebay Willowherb.
It can often be found there on sunny afternoons, sunning itself. When they
wander away from their foodplant and are the size that you describe,
they are looking for somewhere to pupate, usually burrowing into fine,
crumbly soil.

Phil