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Old 14-08-2013, 11:04 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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Default HUGE Caterpillar! ID ?

On Tue, 13 Aug 2013 19:12:41 +0100, sacha wrote:

On 2013-08-13 11:50:09 +0000, David in Normandy said:

On 13/08/2013 13:34, Stephen Wolstenholme wrote:
On Tue, 13 Aug 2013 11:50:48 +0200, David in Normandy
wrote:

Just found a huge caterpillar while harvesting some potatoes.
Never seen one this big in my life. Anyone recognise it or know what
butterfly or moth variety it belongs to?

http://s288.photobucket.com/user/uyq...illar.jpg.html

Normally I kill caterpillars but didn't have the heart to kill this
magnificent beast despite it scoffing my potato foliage; so I released
it elsewhere in the garden.

I'm fairly certain it's a European death's head hawk moth Acherontia
atropos. If you are impressed by the caterpillar just wait until you
see the moth. They are about 5" across. I raised one in a shoe box all
the way to moth stage when I was a kid. They can make rather
surprising sounds. They will kill honey bees to get into hives for the
honey if that's relevant. The bees don't fight back.

Steve


Oh dear me! I released the caterpillar near to a tree where some bees
set up a hive a few months ago. I can't find the caterpillar now.


It looks as if it's the moths that ignore/kill the bees, not the
caterpillars. I do hope he or she is hotfooting it back to your potato
patch though that wish may not too popular with you! One site I looked
at said that every lepidopterist should try to raise at least one
death's head hawk caterpillar to moth incarnation!


Yes, it's the moth that likes honey. The caterpillar does not need to
be in a potato patch as they have a wide diet. The one I had was fed
on dandelion, daisy and nightshade leaves.

Steve

--
EasyNN-plus. Neural Networks plus. http://www.easynn.com
SwingNN. Forecast with Neural Networks. http://www.swingnn.com
JustNN. Just Neural Networks. http://www.justnn.com

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Old 14-08-2013, 01:50 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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"sacha" wrote in message
...
On 2013-08-13 18:42:13 +0000, David in Normandy said:

On 13/08/2013 20:12, sacha wrote:
On 2013-08-13 11:50:09 +0000, David in Normandy said:

On 13/08/2013 13:34, Stephen Wolstenholme wrote:
On Tue, 13 Aug 2013 11:50:48 +0200, David in Normandy
wrote:

Just found a huge caterpillar while harvesting some potatoes.
Never seen one this big in my life. Anyone recognise it or know what
butterfly or moth variety it belongs to?

http://s288.photobucket.com/user/uyq...illar.jpg.html


Normally I kill caterpillars but didn't have the heart to kill this
magnificent beast despite it scoffing my potato foliage; so I
released
it elsewhere in the garden.

I'm fairly certain it's a European death's head hawk moth Acherontia
atropos. If you are impressed by the caterpillar just wait until you
see the moth. They are about 5" across. I raised one in a shoe box all
the way to moth stage when I was a kid. They can make rather
surprising sounds. They will kill honey bees to get into hives for the
honey if that's relevant. The bees don't fight back.

Steve


Oh dear me! I released the caterpillar near to a tree where some bees
set up a hive a few months ago. I can't find the caterpillar now.

It looks as if it's the moths that ignore/kill the bees, not the
caterpillars. I do hope he or she is hotfooting it back to your potato
patch though that wish may not too popular with you! One site I looked
at said that every lepidopterist should try to raise at least one
death's head hawk caterpillar to moth incarnation!


He'd better hurry up because I'm harvesting all the potatoes, a couple of
rows each day. They will all be up within a fortnight. I'm determined not
to leave them in the ground too late this year - I had problems with
blight last year rotting the tubers and the ones that seemed OK didn't
keep well over winter. The potato tops are starting to yellow a bit now,
so I think its time to lift them... got a bumper crop of large spuds too.
Variety = Daisy. They are great for chips.


Oh please leave a couple of plants for him! He won't be worrying you much
longer!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon


Everyone seems to think in the singular, I wonder if there are more?

Bill


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Old 14-08-2013, 04:46 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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Default HUGE Caterpillar! ID ?

On 2013-08-14 10:04:08 +0100, Stephen Wolstenholme said:

On Tue, 13 Aug 2013 19:12:41 +0100, sacha wrote:

On 2013-08-13 11:50:09 +0000, David in Normandy said:

On 13/08/2013 13:34, Stephen Wolstenholme wrote:
On Tue, 13 Aug 2013 11:50:48 +0200, David in Normandy
wrote:

Just found a huge caterpillar while harvesting some potatoes.
Never seen one this big in my life. Anyone recognise it or know what
butterfly or moth variety it belongs to?

http://s288.photobucket.com/user/uyq...illar.jpg.html

Normally I kill caterpillars but didn't have the heart to kill this
magnificent beast despite it scoffing my potato foliage; so I released
it elsewhere in the garden.

I'm fairly certain it's a European death's head hawk moth Acherontia
atropos. If you are impressed by the caterpillar just wait until you
see the moth. They are about 5" across. I raised one in a shoe box all
the way to moth stage when I was a kid. They can make rather
surprising sounds. They will kill honey bees to get into hives for the
honey if that's relevant. The bees don't fight back.

Steve


Oh dear me! I released the caterpillar near to a tree where some bees
set up a hive a few months ago. I can't find the caterpillar now.


It looks as if it's the moths that ignore/kill the bees, not the
caterpillars. I do hope he or she is hotfooting it back to your potato
patch though that wish may not too popular with you! One site I looked
at said that every lepidopterist should try to raise at least one
death's head hawk caterpillar to moth incarnation!


Yes, it's the moth that likes honey. The caterpillar does not need to
be in a potato patch as they have a wide diet. The one I had was fed
on dandelion, daisy and nightshade leaves.

Steve


Well, let's hope he finds all those. Nightshade would be in the potato
family, wouldn't it? The Solanaceae? And the other two are Asteraceae,
so those must be the preferred food for that caterpillar, presumably.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

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Old 14-08-2013, 05:33 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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Default HUGE Caterpillar! ID ?

On Wed, 14 Aug 2013 15:46:40 +0100, Sacha wrote:



Well, let's hope he finds all those. Nightshade would be in the potato
family, wouldn't it? The Solanaceae? And the other two are Asteraceae,
so those must be the preferred food for that caterpillar, presumably.


The one I had preferred deadly night shade leaves. Mum played hell
with me for just picking the leaves. That's were the best caterpillars
lived!

Steve

--
EasyNN-plus. Neural Networks plus. http://www.easynn.com
SwingNN. Forecast with Neural Networks. http://www.swingnn.com
JustNN. Just Neural Networks. http://www.justnn.com

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Old 14-08-2013, 06:30 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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Default HUGE Caterpillar! ID ?

On 2013-08-14 15:33:44 +0000, Stephen Wolstenholme said:

On Wed, 14 Aug 2013 15:46:40 +0100, Sacha wrote:



Well, let's hope he finds all those. Nightshade would be in the potato
family, wouldn't it? The Solanaceae? And the other two are Asteraceae,
so those must be the preferred food for that caterpillar, presumably.


The one I had preferred deadly night shade leaves. Mum played hell
with me for just picking the leaves. That's were the best caterpillars
lived!

Steve


Yes, it was one of those "we're all going to die plants" in my
childhood! But sensibly, I had very strict instructions never to eat
any plant at all without checking with a grown up! As an aside, living
right by the sea, we children all believed implicitly that sea
anemones, which we called bloodsuckers, really did do just that!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon



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Old 14-08-2013, 06:31 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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Posts: 815
Default HUGE Caterpillar! ID ?

On 2013-08-14 11:50:56 +0000, Bill Grey said:

"sacha" wrote in message
...
On 2013-08-13 18:42:13 +0000, David in Normandy said:

On 13/08/2013 20:12, sacha wrote:
On 2013-08-13 11:50:09 +0000, David in Normandy said:

On 13/08/2013 13:34, Stephen Wolstenholme wrote:
On Tue, 13 Aug 2013 11:50:48 +0200, David in Normandy
wrote:

Just found a huge caterpillar while harvesting some potatoes.
Never seen one this big in my life. Anyone recognise it or know what
butterfly or moth variety it belongs to?

http://s288.photobucket.com/user/uyq...illar.jpg.html


Normally I kill caterpillars but didn't have the heart to kill this
magnificent beast despite it scoffing my potato foliage; so I released
it elsewhere in the garden.

I'm fairly certain it's a European death's head hawk moth Acherontia
atropos. If you are impressed by the caterpillar just wait until you
see the moth. They are about 5" across. I raised one in a shoe box all
the way to moth stage when I was a kid. They can make rather
surprising sounds. They will kill honey bees to get into hives for the
honey if that's relevant. The bees don't fight back.

Steve


Oh dear me! I released the caterpillar near to a tree where some bees
set up a hive a few months ago. I can't find the caterpillar now.

It looks as if it's the moths that ignore/kill the bees, not the
caterpillars. I do hope he or she is hotfooting it back to your potato
patch though that wish may not too popular with you! One site I looked
at said that every lepidopterist should try to raise at least one
death's head hawk caterpillar to moth incarnation!

He'd better hurry up because I'm harvesting all the potatoes, a couple
of rows each day. They will all be up within a fortnight. I'm
determined not to leave them in the ground too late this year - I had
problems with blight last year rotting the tubers and the ones that
seemed OK didn't keep well over winter. The potato tops are starting to
yellow a bit now, so I think its time to lift them... got a bumper crop
of large spuds too. Variety = Daisy. They are great for chips.


Oh please leave a couple of plants for him! He won't be worrying you
much longer!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon


Everyone seems to think in the singular, I wonder if there are more?

Bill


It would be nice to think there might be more but does anyone know how
scarce they are in northern France, or how prolifically they lay?
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

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Old 15-08-2013, 11:21 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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On Wed, 14 Aug 2013 17:30:20 +0100, sacha wrote:

On 2013-08-14 15:33:44 +0000, Stephen Wolstenholme said:

On Wed, 14 Aug 2013 15:46:40 +0100, Sacha wrote:



Well, let's hope he finds all those. Nightshade would be in the potato
family, wouldn't it? The Solanaceae? And the other two are Asteraceae,
so those must be the preferred food for that caterpillar, presumably.


The one I had preferred deadly night shade leaves. Mum played hell
with me for just picking the leaves. That's were the best caterpillars
lived!

Steve


Yes, it was one of those "we're all going to die plants" in my
childhood! But sensibly, I had very strict instructions never to eat
any plant at all without checking with a grown up! As an aside, living
right by the sea, we children all believed implicitly that sea
anemones, which we called bloodsuckers, really did do just that!


It's pretty when in flower.

When I was young we were told that a sixpence size circle cut from one
of the leaves would be a turn on. One of the gang tried a circle but
it had no effect at all.

I stood on a spiked anemone once and I could not walk after. My wife
had to pull all the spines out with tweezers. It hurt but didn't suck
my blood!

Steve

--
EasyNN-plus. Neural Networks plus. http://www.easynn.com
SwingNN. Forecast with Neural Networks. http://www.swingnn.com
JustNN. Just Neural Networks. http://www.justnn.com

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Old 15-08-2013, 11:38 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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Posts: 815
Default HUGE Caterpillar! ID ?

On 2013-08-15 10:21:58 +0100, Stephen Wolstenholme said:

On Wed, 14 Aug 2013 17:30:20 +0100, sacha wrote:

On 2013-08-14 15:33:44 +0000, Stephen Wolstenholme said:

On Wed, 14 Aug 2013 15:46:40 +0100, Sacha wrote:



Well, let's hope he finds all those. Nightshade would be in the potato
family, wouldn't it? The Solanaceae? And the other two are Asteraceae,
so those must be the preferred food for that caterpillar, presumably.

The one I had preferred deadly night shade leaves. Mum played hell
with me for just picking the leaves. That's were the best caterpillars
lived!

Steve


Yes, it was one of those "we're all going to die plants" in my
childhood! But sensibly, I had very strict instructions never to eat
any plant at all without checking with a grown up! As an aside, living
right by the sea, we children all believed implicitly that sea
anemones, which we called bloodsuckers, really did do just that!


It's pretty when in flower.

When I was young we were told that a sixpence size circle cut from one
of the leaves would be a turn on. One of the gang tried a circle but
it had no effect at all.

I stood on a spiked anemone once and I could not walk after. My wife
had to pull all the spines out with tweezers. It hurt but didn't suck
my blood!

Steve


By 'spiked', do you mean a sea urchin, which is a rather more fearsome
beast. It's what the French call 'oursin'. I'm thinking of those little
blood-red blobs of jelly that cling to rocks but aren't spiny. When
covered with sea water they have little fronds that wave to and fro.
If you trod on a sea urchin, you have my sympathy. I knew someone who
knelt on one in Corsica, refused first-aid treatment and so had about
two weeks of applying ointment and waiting for the spines to emerge and
be pulled out. Nasty!
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

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Old 15-08-2013, 11:46 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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Default HUGE Caterpillar! ID ?

On 2013-08-14 12:50:56 +0100, Bill Grey said:

"sacha" wrote in message
...

snip


Oh please leave a couple of plants for him! He won't be worrying you
much longer!


Everyone seems to think in the singular, I wonder if there are more?

Bill


It would be nice if there are but they seem to be on the rare side in
northern Europe. And I can't find any reference to them being
poisonous.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

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Old 15-08-2013, 12:32 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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On Thu, 15 Aug 2013 10:38:03 +0100, Sacha wrote:

On 2013-08-15 10:21:58 +0100, Stephen Wolstenholme said:

On Wed, 14 Aug 2013 17:30:20 +0100, sacha wrote:

On 2013-08-14 15:33:44 +0000, Stephen Wolstenholme said:

On Wed, 14 Aug 2013 15:46:40 +0100, Sacha wrote:



Well, let's hope he finds all those. Nightshade would be in the potato
family, wouldn't it? The Solanaceae? And the other two are Asteraceae,
so those must be the preferred food for that caterpillar, presumably.

The one I had preferred deadly night shade leaves. Mum played hell
with me for just picking the leaves. That's were the best caterpillars
lived!

Steve

Yes, it was one of those "we're all going to die plants" in my
childhood! But sensibly, I had very strict instructions never to eat
any plant at all without checking with a grown up! As an aside, living
right by the sea, we children all believed implicitly that sea
anemones, which we called bloodsuckers, really did do just that!


It's pretty when in flower.

When I was young we were told that a sixpence size circle cut from one
of the leaves would be a turn on. One of the gang tried a circle but
it had no effect at all.

I stood on a spiked anemone once and I could not walk after. My wife
had to pull all the spines out with tweezers. It hurt but didn't suck
my blood!

Steve


By 'spiked', do you mean a sea urchin, which is a rather more fearsome
beast. It's what the French call 'oursin'. I'm thinking of those little
blood-red blobs of jelly that cling to rocks but aren't spiny. When
covered with sea water they have little fronds that wave to and fro.
If you trod on a sea urchin, you have my sympathy. I knew someone who
knelt on one in Corsica, refused first-aid treatment and so had about
two weeks of applying ointment and waiting for the spines to emerge and
be pulled out. Nasty!


There are lots of anemone species with spikes. Sea urchins are another
little hazard for those people, like me, who aren't too careful. It
was Corsica where I got spiked as well. The sea urchin spikes are
barbed to make things more difficult and some are poison tipped. They
taste nice though!

Steve

--
EasyNN-plus. Neural Networks plus. http://www.easynn.com
SwingNN. Forecast with Neural Networks. http://www.swingnn.com
JustNN. Just Neural Networks. http://www.justnn.com



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Old 15-08-2013, 01:21 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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On 2013-08-15 11:32:36 +0100, Stephen Wolstenholme said:

On Thu, 15 Aug 2013 10:38:03 +0100, Sacha wrote:
snip

I stood on a spiked anemone once and I could not walk after. My wife
had to pull all the spines out with tweezers. It hurt but didn't suck
my blood!

Steve


By 'spiked', do you mean a sea urchin, which is a rather more fearsome
beast. It's what the French call 'oursin'. I'm thinking of those little
blood-red blobs of jelly that cling to rocks but aren't spiny. When
covered with sea water they have little fronds that wave to and fro.
If you trod on a sea urchin, you have my sympathy. I knew someone who
knelt on one in Corsica, refused first-aid treatment and so had about
two weeks of applying ointment and waiting for the spines to emerge and
be pulled out. Nasty!


There are lots of anemone species with spikes. Sea urchins are another
little hazard for those people, like me, who aren't too careful. It
was Corsica where I got spiked as well. The sea urchin spikes are
barbed to make things more difficult and some are poison tipped. They
taste nice though!

Steve


I'm going to take your word on the latter! I've never seen the
attraction but admit to being squeamish.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

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Old 15-08-2013, 04:48 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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On 2013-08-15 15:36:27 +0100, Martin said:

On Thu, 15 Aug 2013 10:38:03 +0100, Sacha wrote:
snip
If you trod on a sea urchin, you have my sympathy. I knew someone who
knelt on one in Corsica, refused first-aid treatment and so had about
two weeks of applying ointment and waiting for the spines to emerge and
be pulled out. Nasty!


There was a report of somebody who had stood on a sea urchin having to
have a foot or a leg amputated


I think I'll stick to the common or GARDEN variety!
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

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Old 15-08-2013, 06:29 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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On 15/08/2013 15:48, Sacha wrote:
On 2013-08-15 15:36:27 +0100, Martin said:

On Thu, 15 Aug 2013 10:38:03 +0100, Sacha wrote:
snip
If you trod on a sea urchin, you have my sympathy. I knew someone who
knelt on one in Corsica, refused first-aid treatment and so had about
two weeks of applying ointment and waiting for the spines to emerge and
be pulled out. Nasty!


There was a report of somebody who had stood on a sea urchin having to
have a foot or a leg amputated


I think I'll stick to the common or GARDEN variety!

Now come on Sacha, don't be silly.
I know that at times we have very heavy rain and flooding, but not to
the extent that we are going to get sea urchins in the garden.
Some chestnut husks or teasel heads floating around Yes, but sea
urchins, I think not.
David @ a wet side of Swansea Bay
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Old 15-08-2013, 06:54 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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On 14/08/2013 16:33, Stephen Wolstenholme wrote:
On Wed, 14 Aug 2013 15:46:40 +0100, Sacha wrote:



Well, let's hope he finds all those. Nightshade would be in the potato
family, wouldn't it? The Solanaceae? And the other two are Asteraceae,
so those must be the preferred food for that caterpillar, presumably.


The one I had preferred deadly night shade leaves. Mum played hell
with me for just picking the leaves. That's were the best caterpillars
lived!

Steve

It's a good job they can find a mate easier than we can find them,
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Old 15-08-2013, 06:55 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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On 2013-08-15 17:29:12 +0100, David Hill said:

On 15/08/2013 15:48, Sacha wrote:
On 2013-08-15 15:36:27 +0100, Martin said:

On Thu, 15 Aug 2013 10:38:03 +0100, Sacha wrote:
snip
If you trod on a sea urchin, you have my sympathy. I knew someone who
knelt on one in Corsica, refused first-aid treatment and so had about
two weeks of applying ointment and waiting for the spines to emerge and
be pulled out. Nasty!

There was a report of somebody who had stood on a sea urchin having to
have a foot or a leg amputated


I think I'll stick to the common or GARDEN variety!

Now come on Sacha, don't be silly.
I know that at times we have very heavy rain and flooding, but not to
the extent that we are going to get sea urchins in the garden.
Some chestnut husks or teasel heads floating around Yes, but sea
urchins, I think not.
David @ a wet side of Swansea Bay


It's only a matter of time...
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

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