# Creature ID **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 17, 2003, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creature-id/182349 "2003-06-17T01:00:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![baierjj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@baierjj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/baierjj)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creature-id/182349/1 "2003-06-17T01:00:05Z")
This creature was hovering around our impatiens last year. It was about 2 - 2 1/2 inches long. No one knows what it is. Can anyone identify this creature? Thanks. c:\My Documents\My Pictures\Creature1a.jpg c:\My Documents\My Pictures\Creature2a.jpg ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creature-id/182349/2 "2003-06-17T01:03:40Z")
A) You can’t post images here. B) We couldn’t see them anyway, cause they’re on your hard drive. Here’s what you do. Get a free account at the image hosting service at http//www.villagephotos.com, and upload them there, then post a link to them. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creature-id/182349/3 "2003-06-17T01:04:50Z")
Oops. Forgot the : [http://www.villagephotos.com](http://www.villagephotos.com). ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creature-id/182349/4 "2003-06-17T01:07:53Z")
It’s a hawk moth, I’m guessing. ---
**Author:** ![radar\_ralf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@radar\_ralf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/radar_ralf)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creature-id/182349/5 "2003-06-17T01:09:24Z")
not a hummingbird, eh, colibri? ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creature-id/182349/6 "2003-06-17T04:21:47Z")
Naw, it’s a centaur. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creature-id/182349/7 "2003-06-17T05:08:02Z")
Going with **Colibri** ’s guess, did it look like [this](http://www.usyd.edu.au/su/macleay/larvae/sphi/olden.html)? (_theretra oldenlandiae_, the Impatiens Hawkmoth) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creature-id/182349/8 "2003-06-17T08:03:25Z")
2 1/2 inches long is rather large even for a hawkmoth (otherwise I’d have suggested the hummingbird hawkmoth), perhaps some kind of dragonfly?