Talkback: Mullein moth caterpillars

we live in central scotland and we have found a mullein moth in our garden and it has hatched under a wall light. We thought it was an elephant moth because of the trunk like body but when i looked it up on google images it did'nt look like it, so i looked up rare moths and found it there!

Alasdair
age 12

ARE THESE THEONES THAT MUTILATE MY  VERBASCUMS, AND HOW  DO YOU PREVENT IT OR IF ITS TOO LATE  IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN SPRAY WITH.