Help me identify this creature?!
 

If you don’t like bugs and stuff, look away now!

DD found the below creature in the garage today.

She thought it was a slug at first, but on closer inspection it definitely isn’t!

It was maybe 4 inches long, looked crusty and had a weird ridged body underneath (I imagine to help it shuffle along).








Eurgh, gives me the heebie-jeebies just looking at it!

Can anyone identify what it is?!

DD has decided it was a “clug” (crocodile/slug), but we’d quite like to know an actual identity for this mini beast if anyone can help?

Looks like some sort of Caterpillar...

Is it green in colour? quite plump around? If yes its a Privet Hawk Moth caterpiller - harmless

I think it’s a sort of hawk moth caterpillar, but Clug is so much better!

It actually looks like the jelly worm I hoovered up from under my sofa yesterday

I didn’t even think of a type of caterpillar - I didn’t realise they could be so big!

It wasn’t green - it was brown, crusty and dusty! It had cobweb stuck to it.

When I googled hawk moth caterpillar, I think it looks like the elephant hawk moth caterpillar.

I was googling “slug like creatures” which is probably why I couldn’t find an identity for it.

It’s safely in the field behind the house now and no caterpillars were harmed.

It’s the caterpillar of the Elephant Hawk Moth. We’ve found one in our garden this year.

https://i0.wp.com/www.inglenookery.c...4646.jpg?ssl=1
This is the caterpillar

https://warehouse1.indicia.org.uk/up...36vehb7ki2.jpg
This is the moth which emerges after the over winter cocoon phase.

https://images.immediate.co.uk/produ...resize=960,640
It was munching on this (Rosebay Willowherb) which grows as weeds.

HTH

It was definitely that!

I’ve never seen anything like it before.

Ours was almost crusty looking, covered in cobwebs and in our garage.
Goodness knows how long it’d been in there.

I put it in the field behind the garden - hope it can survive okay in there?
I don’t want to have sent it to it’s death!

ETA - never seen a moth like that before - the colouring is amazing

The moth (as with most moths) only come out at night. The colours of the moth are very close to the plant I found the caterpillar on so I guess they are well camouflaged during the day when they sit amongst the leaves and flowers.

I’ve never seen the moth myself, but it must be quite a size based on the size of the caterpillar.

Hawk moth loads of these nature needs to fight back against the harm we do.
Getting off high horse and putting helmet on for dibbers who kill creepy crawlers .
And ultimately will destroy the Earth.
NB.
I ain't no green worshiper just we need bugs.
Save the bottom of food chain