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.

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.

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.

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.

caterpillars
Can you identify what these caterpillars are? They are all over the desert in Las Cruces NM after some rain!!
Shawn

Hi Shawn,
Your caterpillars belong to the Whitelined Sphinx or Striped Morning Sphinx, Hyles lineata. This moth can be found in all the continental United States and especially in the deserts it is prone to seasonal population explosions with 1000s of caterpillars appearing at once. The caterpillars have several different color morphs. Native Americans feasted on the caterpillars when they were plentiful.

Two photos of a Leafy Spurge Hawkmoth
Hi, I am from Zehner, Sask. Canada, 3 miles from the North America Leafy Spurge original origin point, and we now have encountered the Leafy Spurge Hawkmoth here even though our province has not released any. I have two t close up pics of this caterpillar, a yellow, and a red variant. You may use these on your page if you like, just credit me please . Thanks,
Dave Fries

Hi Dave,
Thanks for your great images of Leafy Spurge Hawkmoth Caterpillars, Hyles euphorbiae, a European species introduced to help control the Leafy Spurge. We suspect that Bill Oehlke will be interested in this sighting if you are accurate that the moths have not been released in your area, so we are copying him on this response. Fresh off from our lecture at the Getty on Maria Sibylla Merian, we are now curious if she drew this species in her caterpillar books and if she documented the various color morphs of the caterpillar.