Sphinx Moth?
I saw this caterpillar on a blueberry bush in a meadow in Shenandoah. I know for sure that it is a sphinx moth caterpillar, but I’m having trouble pinpointing the species. I’ve looked through your website and guidebooks but with no luck. Since it was eating the blueberry leaves, I’m guessing that it might be a Huckleberry Sphinx?
Thank you! Your site has been a wonderful source for identifying all the bugs I come across. Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Holly
Blinded Sphinx Caterpillar
Hi Holly,
Your caterpillar is a Blinded Sphinx Caterpillar, Paonias excaecata. Many times this caterpillar is green, but BugGuide has examples of this mottled color variation. Bill Oehlke’s very comprehensive Sphingidae site does not depict this color variation. As he is currently compiling comprehensive data on species distribution, we are copying him on this reply. He may also request permission to post your photo to his site.
¶ Posted 21 September 2008 § ‡ ° hello from Beijing — can u help pls?!
Hi from Beijing, China…!
Could you spare a moment to give some advice, pls? I found
a big fat caterpillar wandering across the car park where
we live and brought it home so that my daughter can watch
again the fascinating changes it will go thru. A search on
the web brought me to your site — great to see so many people
are “bug-aholics”, as I think I’m hooked! — and
I think what we have may be a pink spotted hawkmoth caterpillar.
Would you mind taking a look and telling me what you think?
More urgently, what does it eat? It was not found on any bush
and was in danger of being squashed so I “rescued”
it, but now it doesn’t seem to be eating any of the range
of vegetation I’ve offered — all of which grows in the vicinity
of where we found it. I read on your site about what some
of the hawkmoth caterpillars eat, but I actually don’t recognize
the plant names! Obviously, if you tell me the names of what
it eats, I’ll check online for pictures! How long can a cat’
go without food?! How does it seek food (generally, I assme
they’re hatched on the necessary plant, but as I say, this
guy was wandering across tarmac)? If I put it back where it
was found, is it likely to crawl to it’s food source? And
finally, if we are able to identify it’s fave munch, what
else should we provide to make it feel at home? (a stick?
earth? water?) Thank you so much for your help,
Jane
possibly resolved the mystery!
Hello again bugman
(Do you think you could add an “international buglover singles
dating” page to your site, pls?! Hee Hee!) I persisted with
my research and suspect that I have indeed identified my “bug”
correctly (pink spotted hawkmoth caterpillar) and it eats
morning glory leaves (living in Beijing, my nature knowledge
has shrunk so badly!) Thanks for a great site. I wish my daughter
could have teachers like you…I do my best! 
Jane
Beijing, China
Hi Jane,
We like your idea of an International Buglover Singles Dating
page and will forward the idea to our web host as we are nearing
the launching point of our newly metamorphosed site. After
a bit of searching, we believe your caterpillar might be a
relative of the Pink Spotted Hawk Moth without a common name,
Agrias convolvuli, which we located on the Sphingidae
of the Eastern Palaearctic website. It feeds on the leaves
of morning glories. Often when Sphinx Caterpillars are found
on the ground, they are getting ready to pupate. Loose moist,
but not wet, soil is all that is necessary for pupation as
they burrow underground.
¶ Posted 10 September 2008 § ‡ ° can’t find this one on your pages
I’ve looked through all your pages, but can’t find anything
quite like this gray caterpillar. I found it on a red
bee balm plant in my garden in north central Minnesota two
days ago. Last night it was in the 30s, and it’s gone.
It resembles a few you have, but isn’t quite right. The
gray color and head shape are right for the Xylophanes Falco,
but that has bright white spots and mine doesn’t. Also,
mine has one large dark spot on the top of its head, and a
dark spot [teeth?] in the front. It somewhat resembles
the Tersa Sphinx that I saw on your and Bill Oehlke’s site,
with a similar head shape but mine has fewer and less clear
spots. He says it’s found in Mexico and Texas – a long
way from Minnesota. It’s also a bit like a rustic sphinx
with the diagonal lines, but that doesn’t have dots like mine.
Can you tell me what it is? And if possible, I’d
love to see a photo of what it will turn into.
By the way, your photos are gorgeous. It took me forever
to look through your pages because I kept stopping to admire
them. Thanks,
Susan
Hi Susan,
Thanks to your submission, we now have a Hermit Sphinx Caterpillar,
Lintneria eremitus, on our site. You can see photos of the
adult moth on Bill
Oehlke’s excellent website.
¶ Posted 09 September 2008 § ‡ ° Moth caterpillar
The caterpillar in the attached photographs was on the boardwalk at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in Naples, Florida, on August 26. There was no plant nearby that might have been a larval host. It was about 4 inches long and close to 1 inch in diameter. Great Batesian mimicry for a Water Moccasin, although considerably smaller. The spot on the top of the tail end (upper left in photo) would pulsate when the caterpillar was agitated — first by some ants, and then when it was moved to the side of the boardwalk so a passerby wouldn’t accidentally step on it. One person suggested an instar of the caterpillar for an Abbot’s Sphinx Moth. Can you identify?
This is a Gaudy Sphinx Caterpillar, Eumorpha labruscae, and it is quite serpentine.
1
¶ Posted 29 August 2008 § ‡ ° A pine-tree-loving sphinx caterpillar?
Hi–
Just found your site today–it’s brilliant! This little guy came down with a bunch of pine branches courtesy of tropical storm Fay when it swept past Jacksonville, Florida. After glancing through your caterpillar pages, I’d guess it’s some sort of sphinx caterpillar. We have lots of lantana in our yard so we see quite a few butterflies and moths– wonder if this guy likes lantana, too. Do you recognize him? Thanks for your help.
Anne Craig
Hi Anne,
Your caterpillar is a Southern Pine Sphinx, Lapara coniferarum. According to Bill Oehlke’s wonderful website, “Larvae feed upon various pine species, including loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda ) and longleaf pine ( P. pinaster )” but there is no mention of lantana. As Sphinx caterpillars go, the Southern Pine Sphinx is unusual in that it is lacking in the caudal horn.
¶ Posted 29 August 2008 § ‡ ° green caterpillar with orange spots
Hi, I found this caterpillar eating what looks like grape vine leaves which was growing right next to our tomato plants in our garden. It is about 2 1/2 inches long. The picture of its head is when its head is contracted. Later, it pulled its head out, making it a few centimeters longer. any hints on what it could be? thanks,
katie
south-central indiana
Hi Katie,
Your caterpillar is a Pandorus Sphinx, Eumorpha pandorus. The caterpillar has several different color variations. We have gotten several images of adult moths in recent weeks. We are copying Bill Oehlke on this reply so he can add your sighting to his comprehensive species distribution data.
¶ Posted 21 August 2008 § ‡ ° Can you tell me the name of this caterpillar?
Hi,
We were out in Fish Creek, Calgary (Alberta, Canada) and came across this caterpillar. Can you tell me what sort of caterpillar this is. Thanks,
Timothy
Hi Timothy,
This is a Leafy Spurge Hawk Moth Caterpillar, Hyles euphorbiae. In 1965, it was introduced from Europe to help control the invasive exotic plant, the leafy spurge. We will copy Bill Oehlke on this because he is compiling comprehensive data on species distribution.
¶ Posted 17 August 2008 § ‡ ° what caterpillar is this?
He was found on a grape vine but there are many trees nearby as well – including Cottonwood and Aspen. I don’t see a horn, but it looks like he’s thinking of making a cocoon so I don’t know if they pull their horns back as they prepare for that. I don’t see any hair – he’s very smooth.
Alan Kelly
Ashland, Oregon
Hi Alan,
This is an Achemon Sphinx Caterpillar, Eumorpha achemon. There are several color forms of this caterpillar, and yours is the green morph. We are copying Bill Oehlke on this response so he can add your sighting to the comprehensive species distribution data he is compiling.
¶ Posted 13 August 2008 § ‡ ° 
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