We just found this caterpiller in the garden, which we've never seen before. Do you know what type it is? You can see the blue horn in this picture. It was found on Vancouver Island. Should it be here, or is it a pest? Thanks!
Surf "hornworm". The fact that it is on a peach tree might be significant, or it could be a species that has a variety of hosts. We had a big green moth larva like this come down the trunk of our pin oak last Monday. Didn't see a horn on it, though. The large, butterfly-shaped moths these may become sometimes have striking markings.
Thanks for the reply! It was actually found on the grass, but while we were trying to identify it, we put it on peach leaves. My parents want to know if it's a destructive caterpillar/moth or if they should let it go because it is rare (we've lived here for 25 years and never seen one like this). I can't find one that looks exactly like it, but it looks like a lot of the sphinx moth caterpillars. Thank you!
Since you've bothered to collect it maybe put in a suitable container to pupate, hatch out (if not already parasitized by wasps).
Thank you very much for your help. We decided, because we didn't know for sure what to do, just to let it go again in the grass. Thanks!
