2 pictures for you
Dear Bugman,
These fellows are feeding on the wild grape that shades our porch (Delhi, NY). Pretty big now — 4″ long and fat — and still eating. What are they?? Thanks,
Kids at Lotus School
Dear Kids at Lotus School,
This is an Abbott’s Sphinx Caterpillar, Specodina abbotti. This caterpillar has several different color variations, and the brown one is much more subtle than the green spotted brown variation we have been recently sent. We are copying Bill Oehlke on your response as he is keeping comprehensive records on species distribution.
¶ Posted 14 July 2008 § ‡ ° Interesting caterpillar
Howdy Bugman;
Here are a couple of pictures of a caterpillar that we found but have been unsuccessful in identifying. Do y’all know what kind of butterfly or moth it is? We found it on a wild grape vine in some tall weeds in our backyard in rural northwest Wisconsin on July 11. Thanks for your help.
The Smith Boys
Hi Smith Boys,
Providing our readership with both a lateral view and a dorsal view of this distinctive Abbott’s Sphinx will afford an excellent means for identification. One small problem is the coloration of this species, Sphecodina abbottii, has a highly variable caterpillar. The absence of the caudal horn typical of most Sphinx Caterpillars, and the resulting eyespot is one characteristic that is present in all color variations of the caterpillar. We are copying Bill Oehlke on our reply as he is compiling a comprehensive listing of species sightings on his own amazing website.
¶ Posted 11 July 2008 § ‡ ° yikes! what kind of caterpillar is this??
can you tell us what kind of caterpillar this is? he (or she) has a false “eye” on the tail and kind of hisses when you touch it it also strikes out at whatever touches it like it want to bite… it is on our fence in barrington, ri right near a bunch of forsythia trees thank you
meme pudifin
Hi Meme,
This is an Abbott’s Sphinx, Sphecodina abbottii, Caterpillar. There are several color variations and this is the most spectacular. The false eye and the aggressive behavior will fool a predator like a bird into thinking it is dealing with a potentially harmful snake instead of a harmless succulent caterpillar. We are sad you did not include a location in your letter. We are going to copy Bill Oehlke on this in the hopes you will provide locations for both of us so he can include the information in his comprehensive species distribution date.it is in barrington, rhode island in our backyard!! thank you so much are they common to this area??
¶ Posted 07 July 2008 § ‡ ° Updated (07/02/2008) (10/15/2005) amazonian caterpillar
Hello,
I spotted this beautiful caterpillar during a trip to the Mamirauá reserve in the Amazon rainforest. I understand there are a few species that present this snake mimicking behavior, but I haven’t found the right match for this one yet. Can you help? Thanks and congratulations on your website.
Pablo
Mexico City
Hola Pablo,
Wow, your photo is awesome. Sadly we can’t identify this amazing mimic. Please update us if you ever identify it.
Hello Daniel,
I did some more research here and came across an amazing book on camouflage, mimetism and the like by Roger Caillois. The book’s name is Medusa and Company. He describes four species with similar behavior, of these only one lives in the Amazon, and the position this one adopts surely fits the description. The name is Leucorampha Ornatus (or ornata). I could only find a few pages on the web referring to this species, all in french or italian.
all the best
Pablo
Update: (07/02/2008)
Snake Mimic- 10/15/2005 Amazonian caterpillar
Hi,
I’ve been researching bugs for my library’s summer reading program, and your website has been very interesting to me! I’ve enjoyed seeing all the wonderful photos and even identifying some of the caterpillars in my area. I think I can identify the photo of the Amazonian caterpillar in fact, it is part of an upcoming story time! This looks like a Hemeroplanes triptolemus, which mimics a snake by rolling onto its back and “flaring” the area around the head to scare off would-be predators. There are several websites with good pictures of this caterpillar, as well as the moth it becomes (some type of Sphinx). Thanks for your wonderful website!
Kim
Hi Kim,
Thanks for the information. We checked and found images of the caterpillar and moth on Bill Oehlke’s excellent website. We beleive you are correct. The photo submitted to us three years ago looks even more snakelike than the ones on Bill Oehlke’s site.
¶ Posted 30 June 2008 § ‡ ° Question: Help! What is this bug?!
Dear Bugman,
Please help me identify this bug. I have searched all the pages on the internet for moths and cannot locate a picture that looks like this one. Thank you so much!
Julie
Hi Julie,
On our website, the Sphinx Moths, a large family, get their own pages separate from general moths. This is a White Lined Sphinx, Hyles lineata. It is one of the most common U.S. Sphinx Moths, and in desert areas the species go through cyclical population explosions. Because the California rains this season have been spread out rather than concentrated, there is lush native plant growth and we expect to continue to get reports of both the adult Striped Morning Sphinx moths and the caterpillars as well.
White Lined Sphinx Caterpillar
(03/26/2008) caterpillar picture attached
I saw this caterpillar in Anzo-Borrego Desert in southern California last week. Curious if you know what it is. Pictures attached.
paul
Hi Paul,
With the desert wildflowers being so spectacular this year, there is plenty of food for plant eaters like caterpillars. We expect to get numerous queries regarding your species, the White Lined Sphinx or Striped Morning Sphinx, Hyles lineata. The caterpillars of this species are highly variable and become quite numerous at times. They were eaten by Native Americans and still are eaten by some adventuresome modern Americans as well.
Do you know what this caterpillar is?
Hi,
My preschool class found this caterpillar on our playgound near the base of an oak tree. I have tried to find out what it is, but I can not find a match for it. We would love to know any information you can provide us about our newest classmate, Greeny (The kids named it). Thank you
Kristina Ajoy and KinderCare Learning Center 1193 Preschool class.
Orlando, Florida
While trying to substantiate our belief that this is a Ficus Sphinx Caterpillar, Pachylia ficus, we were shocked and dismayed to find the exact photomontage posted to BugGuide in 2006 and credited to another photographer. Without trying to pass judgement, we find ourselves wondering who the author of these images is, the photographer with the BugGuide posting from 2006, or preschool teacher Kristina Ajoy of the KinderCare Learning Center 1193 Preschool class in 2008. It is surely a mystery, and we also can’t help but wonder if two people can take identical images two years apart. Even more paradoxical that they would both name the file with the identical name. Coincidence or Plagiarism? You decide.
HI, I saw the reply to the image I sent regarding the caterpillar my class and I found. I do not own a Digital camera so I did use that image for a visual referance for you. I had no intention of Plagiarism. It was a beautiful image the the caterpillar and I thought it was help you identify it. I am sorry if the use of the image has caused any problems, and I was not aware that I need to add referances to images sent in. I am truly sorry.
Kristina Ajoy
Thanks for the explanation Kristina,
If you borrowed the image from BugGuide, then we don’t understand why you needed an identification. Also, tryng to match a species that you saw to another photo is not a guarantee that the species will be correctly identified. We generally expect that photos are sent to us by the originators of the images, and we would normally not post an image that was taken from another website. After spending about 20 minutes researching your request, we felt it would have been a total waste of our time to not post the image. We needed to make very clear to our readership the ethical questions that posting a photo credited to another website and photographer presented to us.
¶ Posted 02 April 2008 § ‡ ° Hi,
I have been scouring the internet trying to find out what this creature is that we found. If you can help me with identification, that would be great. If not, I would appreciate anything you can tell me to lead me in the right direction to find this information. What I can tell you is that this creature was found in Hillsborough County, Florida on a blackberry bush. It is approximately 2 – 3 inches in length. It appears to me that the bigger end with the “eyes, nostrils and teeth” is not the actual head, but the tail end. The other end with the smaller triangular shape, appears to be the head. This end latches onto the blackberry as if eating. This end is the end that appears to direct movement. The circle on the top of this “head” is interesting in that it appears to blink or have some type of movement like a flicker of a tongue or something. Thank you so much for your time.
Michele Petys
Hi Michele,
The Gaudy Sphinx Moth Caterpillar is a very effective snake mimic, which helps to deter birds.
¶ Posted 31 March 2008 § ‡ ° Picture
Can you help with this caterpillar found in Beaumont, Texas. I’m sorry I don’t know from what vegetation it was taken.
Emmeline Dodd
Hi Emmeline,
This is a Banded Sphinx Caterpillar, Eumorpha fasciatus.
¶ Posted 31 March 2008 § ‡ ° 
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