Getting rid of some pesky critters

Hi all

Visiting a friend and he mentioned that he has a problem with some critters eating his rue plants.
Can anyone identify what they are and any possible way/s to get rid of them without resorting to nasty chemicals?

Thanks in advance.

 

Flippin' 'eck, I thought it must be a fearsome beast if it's willing to eat rue, and so it would appear. Seeing as they are so huge couldn't he just pick them off? I think I'd be inclined to treat them with respect and sacrifice my rue plants to them.

 

Hi @Madahhlia

Africa ain't for sissies.

There are loads of the big green ones (about 4cm long and about 1/2 cm in diameter) and even more of the darker ones but much, much smaller.
I'm wondering if they are two different species or the same type which evolve from the very small dark ones to the big green ones.

 

Ah, Africa. Could you not just fry them and eat them then?

 

You're thinking of the mopani worm.
I tried them once (when in Rome.....) and can say that I might have well just have eaten a piece of cardboard.
Same texture (once fried) and taste.
Won't be trying it again.
The mopani worm:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonimbrasia_belina
Just make sure you're not having your tea when looking at the pics on that page.

 

@Loofah

Thank you very much for the links.
My friend did say that he has being seeing a lot of butterflies (just like the ones on the article) flying around his plants and landing on them.

 

He won't be looking at those butterflies quite the same way again.