Damien Enright: Caterpillar of elephant hawkmoth was a sight to see

The caterpillar of an elephant hawkmoth. After pupating for eight months, it will emerge as a gorgeous pink moth, 2.5 cm across, a night-feeder on the nectar within fuchsia and willowherb flowers.

Last week, barrowing loads of rosebay willowherb we had weeded from the garden to the pit where it will, in time, become useful compost, we came upon a black caterpillar as long and almost as round as my index finger.

It had fallen from the barrow of weeds onto flagstones and there laid prostrate before raising all but a centimetre of its body heaven-ward, like a worshipper about to cry ‘Hallelujah!’