Hawk Moth caterpillar

A large black 2 and a half inch caterpiller seen feeding on the lower leaves of my runner bean plants proved to be the larvae of an Elephant Hawk Moth.

This caterpillar was mostly black with the telltale spike at the near the rear of its body, a couple of brown eyelets near its head and the tail end showing a distinct trunk-like appendage giving the moth its name.

Apparently Elephant Hawk Moths often feed on Honeysuckle plants and we have several at the moment which have been in flower for several weeks.