Xylena nupera

I found a young caterpillar in July on willow. At first it looked like a typical green and hairless "cutworm" type of noctuid caterpillar, but is eventually grew to an astonishing size, comparable to the caterpillar of Smerinthus cerisyi. The moth emerged in late August and was quite fearsome in appearance. The dorsal surface of the thorax bears an unusual rather hard brown shield-shaped plate. Moths of this genus are known as swordgrass moths. They spend the winter as adult moths.