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HornwormsUnknown caterpillars
Mon, Jan 5, 2009 at 4:20 AM
I thought I picked two brown caterpillars with fake eyes from my mother’s penta plant in Sun City Florida yesterday. When I opened the jar to photograph them this morning, I had two browns and two greens, all with false eyes. I never kill bugs without knowing what they are but I can’t find these in my caterpillar book.
V Parsons
Central Florida
Tersa Sphinx Caterpillar: Brown Morph
Dear V,
Both the green caterpillars and the brown caterpillars are the same species. The Tersa Sphinx, like many other Sphinx Moths, have caterpillars in different colors. These different morphs probably aid in the survival of the species. Predators that notice the brown caterpillars may not notice the green individuals just inches away. To see images of the adult moth and to read more about the Tersa Sphinx, Xylophanes tersa, you can search Bill Oehlke’s excellent website.
Tersa Sphinx Caterpillar: Green Morph
Thank you so much! I gave the caterpillars to a friend with a lot of penta and a six-year-old grandaughter who loves bugs — she’ll take good care of them 
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Comments 1
I live in middle Tennessee and just found three of these caterpillars on some of my pentas plants. Two of them are gray and one is green. They are amazing looking. This is the first time that I have found this species in my garden and I look forward to seeing the moths appear.
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