One eyed caterpillar
Location: Fort Myers Florida
October 30, 2011 4:58 pm
Hi,
I found this caterpillar after I carried some dead Plumeria branches out to the trash. I think it had been hiding in the branches for cover because it had a similar color. I live in Fort Myers. The caterpillar appears to be about ready to pupate. There are Live Oaks in the area and lots of bromeliads & other plants.
Signature: Thanks, Carol Schumann
Hi Carol,
Your caterpillar is an Ello Sphinx Caterpillar, Erinnyis ello. Fully developed Ello Sphinx Caterpillars lose the caudal horn, so your individual is probably still not ready to pupate. This is a highly variable caterpillar, and you can see some of the variations on the Sphingidae of the Americas website. We have been unable to determine if the Ello Sphinx Caterpillars are known to feed on plumeria. BugGuide lists food plants as: “Recorded feeding on members of the following plant families: Caricaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Myrtaceae, Sapotaceae.”
I was so thrilled to find this caterpillar! We have all of those plant families in our yard! I have seen the moth drawn to the front porch by the night light. This is the first time I have seen the caterpillar!
Thank you for the identification. It is greatly appreciated! 🙂
Update: January 24, 2020
We just received a correction that this is Erinnyis crameri, and images on Sphingidae of the Americas support that identification.
The pink “lips” above the head, the eyespot configuration and the fact that the larva was associated with Apocynaceae, all are consistent with Erinnyis crameri. The caterpillar does not look like ello.
Thanks for the correction on this nine year old posting. Daniel was lucky enough to observe an adult stray Cramer’s Sphinx in Los Angeles several years ago.