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Big Caterpillar
We’ve looked all through the Luna moth pictures, and searched around the web, but haven’t found a picture just like the guy in this one. He is 5 inches long and living on a small beautyberry bush http://www.floridata.com/ref/C/callicar.cfm in our central Florida yard. The bush is currently flowering and he seems to prefer eating the flowers, with leaves as a side. So far he has stayed on one bush, so we’ve been able to take several photos. Very interesting critter as he seems to be aware of our movements even when we are 2-3 feet away. He will stop feeding and turn toward us, as if watching. Do you have any idea what it might be?
Karen and Denny

Hi Karen and Denny,
This appears to be a Rustic Sphinx Caterpillar, Manduca rustica. According to the website link you provided, beautybush is in the Vervain family, and according to Bill Oehlke’s excellent website, the Rustic Sphinx Caterpillar feeds on plants in the Vervain family. We really like the classic “Sphinx” pose your caterpillar has assumed. We are copying Bill Oehlke on this response so he may add your sighting to the compresensive data he is amassing on species distribution.

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