black caterpillar with yellow stripes and red ends (Brazil)
November 6, 2009
Hello!
I spotted this huge caterpillar here in Rio de Janeiro and now I wonder what it is, and if it will turn into some beautiful butterfly one day! Can you help me? Thank you!
Anne
Brazil, Rio de Janeiro
Tetrio Sphinx Caterpillar
Hi Anne,
This gorgeous caterpillar is a Tetrio Sphinx, Pseudosphinx tetrio. It feeds on Plumeria. It is primarily a Caribbean and South American species, but it is also found in Florida and other southern states. You may read more about the Tetrio Sphinx on Bill Oehlke’s excellent website.
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Posted 06 November 2009
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Large caterpillars
November 2, 2009
Hello-
I found these (2) massive caterpillars in my morning glories this morning. They were on the shady side, I guess that would be north west. They were about three inches long and about half an inch in diameter. I live in Bryan, Texas off West Villa Maria Rd.
Please tell me that they are not some alien invasion trying to take over Texas starting with my house!
Thank you in advance for your reply,
Nadine Harrison
Pink Spotted Hawkmoth Caterpillar
Hi Nadine,
This is a Pink Spotted Hawkmoth Caterpillar, Agrius cingulata. It is a highly variable caterpillar, but Bill Oehlke’s excellent website has one of similar coloration. Feeding on morning glories was a great hint to assist in the identification.
Pink Spotted Hawkmoth Caterpillar
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Posted 03 November 2009
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Caterpillar, unknown species
November 1, 2009
We found this very large beautiful orange and blue caterpillar on the ground (dirt) next a wood pile in deep south Texas on November, 1. Weather is clear and temperature is about 70 degrees. Can you tell us if this becoimes a moth and if so what type? There are very large brown moths in this area this time of the year. We no nothing of their species, etc.
Floyd Woods
Mission, TX
Ficus Sphinx Caterpillar
Hi Floyd,
This is the caterpillar of the Fig Sphinx, Pachylia ficus. We suspect there is a fig tree nearby and that the Fig Sphinx Caterpillar has spent the season feeding on the leaves, unnoticed. It has left the tree to burrow underground where it will pupate. The adult moths are streamlined creatures with olive brown upper wings and striped underwings. You can see images of the adult moth on Bill Oehlke’s wonderful website. We love the photo showing the tiny horn. Sphinx Caterpillars are often called Hornworms, and the Ficus Sphinx has a tiny horn as the family characteristic goes.
Ficus Sphinx Caterpillar
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Posted 02 November 2009
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What is this?
October 30, 2009
I found this caterpillar on my bricks in my flowerbed. I am having a hard time identifying it. please help. Found 10/30/2009 in Houston TX
Brandy
SE Texas
Tersa Sphinx Caterpillar
Hi Brandy,
This is a Tersa Sphinx Caterpillar. We get numerous reports of them feeding on Penta.
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Posted 31 October 2009
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Western Tiger Swallowtail catepillar
October 27, 2009
I was wondering why the leaves of my penta plant were disappearing. Then this morning I found these “eyes” staring at me. At first I thought it was a plastic toy! What an amazing critter.
Marabelle
Sugar Land, TX
Tersa Sphinx Caterpillar
Hi Marabelle
Though it resembles a Western Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar, your critter is a Tersa Sphinx Caterpillar. The Swallowtail has one set of eyespots, while the Tersa Sphinx has numerous eyespots. The Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar does not have a caudal horn, and the Tersa Sphinx does possess a caudal horn. Sphinx Moth caterpillars are often called Hornworms. Penta is a typical food plant for the Tersa Sphinx Caterpillar.
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Posted 28 October 2009
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caterpillar
October 19, 2009
Funky worm… you know what it is?
Doug
My backyard on the island of Maui, HI.
Oleander Hawkmoth Caterpillar
Hi Doug,
It doesn’t appear to be feeding on oleander, but it looks like an Oleander Hawkmoth Caterpillar. According to Bill Oehlke’s website, in addition to oleander, the caterpillar is also known to feed on “Minor hostplants are Vinca, Vitis, Gardenia, Asclepias, Jasminum, Trachelospermum, Amsonia, Carissa, Tabernaemontana, Mangifera, Rhazya, Adenium, Catharanthus, Ipomoea and Thevetia. Larvae will also feed on Ligustrum ovalifolium in captivity.“
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Posted 19 October 2009
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Very Pretty Caterpillar
October 19, 2009
Hello, I found alot of these caterpillars all living on the same type of weed on my property. They are in various colors. I even found one with wasp eggs attached.
Frankie B Norris
Central Florida
Banded Sphinx Caterpillar
Hi Frankie,
The Banded Sphinx, Eumorpha fasciatus, is one of several Sphinx Moths with highly variable caterpillars. Though the darker colorful caterpillar is a version well represented in our archives, we believe the lighter morph is a new color variation that is not represented in our archives. Bill Oehlke’s excellent website illustrates both of these color variations as well as several others. The Banded Sphinx Caterpillars are known to feed on “primrose-willow, Ludwigia (water primrose) and other plants in the evening primrose family (Onagraceae). Grapes also serve as larval hosts.”
Banded Sphinx Caterpillar
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Posted 19 October 2009
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yellow caterpillar?
October 16, 2009
Found in a garden in Florence Italy during October of 2009. What is it? Is it bad for plants?
A. Livingston
Florence, Italy
Death's Head Hawkmoth Caterpillar
Dear A. Livingston,
This is the caterpillar of a Death’s Head Hawkmoth, Acherontia atropos, and other than eating some leaves, it is not harmful to the plant it is feeding upon. You may find additional information on the Sphingidae of the Palaearctic website.
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Posted 18 October 2009
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Catapillar or worm?
October 4, 2009
This was found in southern Wisconsin on a grape vine. It is soft to the touch, even though the spotted outside looks like a “shell” When it stretches, it extends out of the “shell” Very different from anything we have ever seen before
Cora Purdue
Southern Wisconsin
Pandora Sphinx Caterpillar
Hi Cora,
Your caterpillar is a Pandora Sphinx Caterpillar, Eumorpha pandorus, and it is commonly found on grape vines. There are also green and brown color variations of the caterpillar.
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Posted 04 October 2009
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Caterpillar (red, black, white, yellow)
September 28, 2009
Can you please identify this caterpillar? It was photographed near Lake Tizlit in the High Atlas Mountains of central Morocco. The nearest village is Imilchil where my daughter works as a Peace Corps volunteer. This is in “her” national park. The photo was made in later June in semi-arid conditions. It is perhaps 10 cm long.
Tom Fuller
Morocco
Barbary Spurge Hawkmoth Caterpillar
Hi Tom,
This caterpillar reminded us of the caterpillars of the Sphinx Moths in the genus Hyles, so we searched Hyles and Morocco, and quickly arrived at a page for the Barbary Spurge Hawkmoth, Hyles tithymali mauretanica. Your caterpillar looks very similar to the ones pictured in the photo on that page, but with slight color differences. The website also has this note: “(Taxonomic note. de Freina (1994) placed mauretanica as a subspecies of H. euphorbiae on the basis of minor morphological and behavioural differences, overlooking the many more characteristics that mauretanica has in common with tithymali.)” Upon following the link to Hyles euphorbiae, the Leafy Spurge Hawkmoth, the new page has photos of numerous color variations of the larvae which are called polymorphic.
Hi Daniel,
I am dazzled by your speed and research. From the description of the habitat (desert/steppe) and range (Atlas Mountains of Algeria and Morocco), this much be the one. I note (as you did) the slight variation in coloring (red line for yellow line, etc.) but it must be a cousin. Thanks much for offering such a service online. I posted the picture on Flickr and gave you credit for the identification:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tomfuller2001/
Tom
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Posted 29 September 2009
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Need Caterpillar ID
September 25, 2009
Could you please identify this caterpillar? It was found on a Willow tree this week (September 2009), in Los Angeles, CA. It measures aprox. 1.5 inches long.
S Logan, Los Angeles CA
Los Angeles CA
One Eyed Sphinx Caterpillar
Dear S Logan,
What a nice find. This is a One Eyed Sphinx or Cerisy’s Sphinx Caterpillar, Smerinthus cerisyi. Bill Oehlke’s Sphingidae of the United States website has images of the adult moth as well as other stages of development. This is a wide ranging species in North America. In addition to willow, the larvae also feed on poplar.
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Posted 26 September 2009
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Xylophanes Pluto Moth
September 19, 2009
Here is a photo of the X-Pluto Moth in it’s Green stage at night hanging from a leaf on a Texas Lilac Tree in Garland Texas 9-19-09
Tom Stovall
Garland, TX
Rustic Sphinx Caterpillar
Hi Tom,
Your photo is quite wonderful and it illustrates this Sphinx Caterpillar in its classic pose that resulted in the name sphinx. We disagree with your identification. We believe this is a Rustic Sphinx Caterpillar, Manduca rustica. The best method for identifying both Sphinx Caterpillars and the adult moths, we believe, is to scan the images on Bill Oehlke’s Sphingidae of the Americas website. The site has the option of viewing by individual states, so you are able to just search for species found in Texas. Using that method, we identified your Rustic Sphinx Caterpillar on Bill’s website.
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Posted 20 September 2009
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