It came from outer space...

[will]

Saw this thing crawling accross my lawn the other day. It's about 4 to 5 inches long and I was wondering if anyone knows what it is intending to evolve into?

[Neil Bromhall]

Hi Will,
I think that you have got yorself a Hawkmoth caterpillar.
It might be the Elephank Hawk Moth (Latin name Deilephila elpenor). When under threat they raise their head to show off the mock eyes on its back to freighten. Those are the marking you can see near the fat end of the caterpillar.
This will pupate and later emerge in to a large moth.
You have a wonderful wildlife garden there.

[will]

Ah, they were talking about these guys on gardners question time while I was washing up the other day.

I didn't see the fake eyes, but that may have been because it wasn't afraid of me, despite the fact that I would have thought the combination of my size 13s and a lawn mower would have posed quite a threat.

Her indoors hate moths so I'll keep quiet about it!

[Neil Bromhall]

Hi Will,
I don't have a photograph of the Elephant Hawkmoth
but I do have another hawkmoth.
It is a Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Latin Name Macroglossum stellatarum)

I think that they are neat moths.