rss mystery pillar
Can anyone help ? What will this guy become ?
Thanx Lyn
Hi Lyn,
We crave information, like location and food plants. This is an Abbotts Sphinx Caterpillar, Sphecodina abbottii. It is relatively unique among the sphinxes since it looses its caudal horn, and the remaining “scar” looks like an eye, which probably frightens predators like birds.
caterpiller ID
The attached caterpiller was found in the Mojave desert in April 2003. I think it was about 3″ long. Can you identify it?
Elise Ciraolo
Hi Elise,
This looks like a White Lined Sphinx Caterpillar, Hyles lineata. The caterpillar is highly variable in color and yours is the black morph.
caterpillar needs identifying
Please please would you identify this caterpillar for me, I thought perhaps it was a swallowtail but cannot find anything that fits the markings. It was on my fuschias last summer in my garden on Vancouver Island. I have surfed and surfed! What a wonderful website.
Diane Sandland
Hi Diane,
Before we even opened your attached photo, we had guessed correctly that your caterpillar was a White Lined Sphinx Caterpillar, Hyles lineata. The tip-off was the host plant Fuschia. This is a highly variable caterpillar that has at least three recognized color variations.
Whats This Bug
I found this bug on the ground below an old oak with many vines. I live in north west Florida. I believe it is an Abbot’s sphinx caterpillar in a variation other than you had posted from 08/07/2004.
Heather
Hi Heather,
Abbott’s Sphinx Caterpillars, Sphecodina abbottii, have several different color morphs, including the brown form in your photograph.
Species Identification
Hello,
My name is Michael Reaid, and I am currently a graduate student at FSU. Unfortunately, my field of biochemistry leaves me with little experience in the entomology world. I was recently (August 2005) in Glacier National Park in Northern Montana on a hike when I came across an interesting caterpillar. I am just very curious to find out what it is. I’ve attached three digital pictures (optimized, to save mailbox space, so excuse the graininess) I took of it on the trail before I moved it aside into some vegetation. I would really appreciate an ID, or being sent in the right direction. Thank you very much!
Cheers,
Michael Reaid
Hi Michael,
Bill Oehlke’s excellent site lists very few members of the family Sphingidae in Montana, but there are three species in the genus Hyles. This is most definitely one of them. The two likliest are Hyles lineata and Hyles gallii. Both species have similar looking caterpillars with high variability. None matches your specimen exactly. We suspect Hyles lineata, the Striped Morning sphinx or White-Lined Sphinx, to be the liklier candidate. We also suspect a green caterpillar has changed color before pupating.
caterpillar
Hello there! I have to start by saying what an impressive site you have! I am a fifth grade teacher in San Antonio Texas and my students happened to find this rather large caterpillar on their playground. They were very interested in it and want to keep it to see if it will grow into a butterfly or moth. We did some research on different caterpillars and compared them to what this one looks like. The closest match we could find was to the eyed hawk moth, but all references to the eyed hawk moth came from Europe. I found a moth that looks like the eyed hawk moth on your website called the Cerisy’s moth and searched the internet for pics of a cerisy’s caterpillar to no avail. We would really like to know what we have…. Our caterpillar is about 3 inches long and was found on the ground. He is lime green with diagonal white stripes and some pink dots (I think those are the spiracles) There are trees nearby and I think they are willow trees, but not positive. We put our little friend in an aquarium with a mesh top and some tree branches. It eats like crazy and seems to be happy with what we gave it. Can you identify him for us? We are hoping to see him turn into the moth before school gets out.
Sincerely,
Christie and her very interested fifth graders.
Hi Christie and Students,
This is definitely a Sphinx Moth Caterpillar. We recommend Bill Oehlke’s awesome site, but it will take some major searching. We have seen this caterpillar before, but can’t put our finger on a name just yet. Meanwhile we will post until it is identified. Thanks for your touching letter.
From North Texas
Can you tell what this is? It was found east of Dallas TX. Thanks,
John
Hi John,
This is a White Lined Sphinx Caterpillar. There are several different color variations for the caterpillar, and this is a common one. Other caterpillars are almost entirely black. The adult moths are sometimes confused for hummingbirds.
What is this Caterpillar?
This picture was taken on the island of Eustatius in the Caribbean in February of this year. It was feeding on a plant with orange flowers. Any idea what it is.
Thanks.
Carl Anderson
Hi Carl,
This could well be the most gorgeous photo of a Tetrio Sphinx Caterpillar, Pseudosphinx tetrio, ever taken. Thank you for sending it in.
I like This