A councillor has spotted one of the UK's rarest bugs while taking a stroll through a green area in Totton. 

The strange looking creature is a deep red with bright orange streaks down each of its sides. 

Cllr Harrison said: "I came across this caterpillar whilst walking along the Green Route in Totton today. It was a monster, about five inches long."

It has been revealed that the creature that the councillor saw was one of UK's rarest caterpillars - the Goat Moth caterpillar. 

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These caterpillars can live for up to five years, making them the longest-living larval stage of any British moth. 

The eye-catching creature will one day grow into a greyish brown moth. 

They are often found in broadleaved trees like oak, ash, and willow, where they burrow and feed on the wood. 

Goat moths are classified as nationally scarce in the UK.