Hi all

I went out to the patio at the bottom of the garden a couple of hours ago to
see something about 3 or 4 inches long, about half an inch in diameter, dark
brown in colour, with a segmented body, heading for the soil. I've never
seen one before (and don't want to again) so has anyone any idea what it
could be please? I've 'googled' for slow worms and it isn't one of those.

Regards, Aileen

The message
from "Aileen Howard" contains these words:

Hi all

I went out to the patio at the bottom of the garden a couple of hours ago to
see something about 3 or 4 inches long, about half an inch in diameter, dark
brown in colour, with a segmented body, heading for the soil. I've never
seen one before (and don't want to again) so has anyone any idea what it
could be please? I've 'googled' for slow worms and it isn't one of those.

Certainly not a slow-worm. Any more dscription? Did it have legs? How
fast did it move? Did it seem to have a separate head? By segmented, do
you mean worm-like or insect-like?

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--
Rusty http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm
horrid·squeak snailything zetnet·co·uk excange d.p. with p to reply.

In article ,
Aileen Howard wrote:

I went out to the patio at the bottom of the garden a couple of hours ago to
see something about 3 or 4 inches long, about half an inch in diameter, dark
brown in colour, with a segmented body, heading for the soil. I've never
seen one before (and don't want to again) so has anyone any idea what it
could be please? I've 'googled' for slow worms and it isn't one of those.

With legs? If so, a millipede. While they can damage seedlings etc.,
they don't occur in large numbers and are best regarded as interesting
and to be ignored.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

$ inch long Millipede in UK?
I would have thought that it was a caterpillar of one of the Hawk moths,

--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

The message
from (Nick Maclaren) contains these words:

In article ,
Aileen Howard wrote:

I went out to the patio at the bottom of the garden a couple of hours
ago to
see something about 3 or 4 inches long, about half an inch in
diameter, dark
brown in colour, with a segmented body, heading for the soil. I've never
seen one before (and don't want to again) so has anyone any idea what it
could be please? I've 'googled' for slow worms and it isn't one of those.

With legs? If so, a millipede. While they can damage seedlings etc.,
they don't occur in large numbers and are best regarded as interesting
and to be ignored.

You've got fat millipedes Nick - ½" in diameter?

--
Rusty http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm
horrid·squeak snailything zetnet·co·uk excange d.p. with p to reply.

The message
from "David Hill" contains these
words:

$ inch long Millipede in UK?
I would have thought that it was a caterpillar of one of the Hawk moths,

You can get all sorts of exotic millipedes as pets these days....perhaps
someone's pet escaped?

--
AnneJ
ICQ #:- 119531282

Thanks to all of you for the replies - it was segmented as in an
armadillo! - and moved not on legs, but by peristalsis? Hope it isn't an
escaped pet and is just a baby, we do have a pet shop about half a mile away
which sells all sorts of scary things (scary to me, anyway).

Aileen

"Anne Jackson" wrote in message
...
The message
from "David Hill" contains these
words:

$ inch long Millipede in UK?
I would have thought that it was a caterpillar of one of the Hawk moths,

You can get all sorts of exotic millipedes as pets these days....perhaps
someone's pet escaped?

--
AnneJ
ICQ #:- 119531282

"Aileen Howard" wrote in message
...
Thanks to all of you for the replies - it was segmented as in an
armadillo! - and moved not on legs, but by peristalsis? Hope it isn't an
escaped pet and is just a baby, we do have a pet shop about half a mile
away
which sells all sorts of scary things (scary to me, anyway).

I suspect it was a hawkmoth chrysalis. I have seen them before and they can
move independently. It had probably been disturbed and was heading back to
the soil to pupate.


Matt


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In article ,
Rusty Hinge wrote:

You've got fat millipedes Nick - ½" in diameter?

Er, yes. The weather had confused me into thinking this was
somewhere else :-)

David Hill is probably right.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

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.

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!!

Best regards to all who were kind enough to reply,

Aileen
"Matt" wrote in message
...

"Aileen Howard" wrote in message
...
Thanks to all of you for the replies - it was segmented as in an
armadillo! - and moved not on legs, but by peristalsis? Hope it isn't
an
escaped pet and is just a baby, we do have a pet shop about half a mile
away
which sells all sorts of scary things (scary to me, anyway).

I suspect it was a hawkmoth chrysalis. I have seen them before and they
can
move independently. It had probably been disturbed and was heading back to
the soil to pupate.


Matt


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.507 / Virus Database: 304 - Release Date: 05/08/2003

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.

"Aileen Howard" wrote in message ...
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.

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!!

Well actually it's quite beautiful - not at all scary.

Rod

The message
from (Nick Maclaren) contains these words:
In article ,
Rusty Hinge wrote:

You've got fat millipedes Nick - ½" in diameter?

Er, yes. The weather had confused me into thinking this was
somewhere else :-)

Cooo! Oooo-er! It's got legs?

--
Rusty http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm
horrid·squeak snailything zetnet·co·uk excange d.p. with p to reply.

The message
from (Nick Maclaren) contains these words:

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

I have a pair of wrens nesting in my front hedge (lonicera) at the
moment. There was another pair in the ivy which I've left for just that
purpose at the lower half of a big lilac, and another pair nested in a
huge 'lollipop' of varigated elephant-ears ivy outside the thunderbox.

There was a pair of goldcrests mousing about at the bottom of the garden.

--
Rusty http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm
horrid·squeak snailything zetnet·co·uk excange d.p. with p to reply.

Speaking as someone with an obsessive interest in butterflies and
moths I would like to say this that firstly, crysalises DO NOT
WALK!!!!They can not walk. The description of what you saw matches the
adult caterpillar of a Large Elephant Hawk Moth. It would have been
walking to soil in order to bury itself and pupate. The moth that will
eventually hatch is one of the most beautiful in this country - bright
cerise pink and green. You are priviledged.

Helen