large caterpillar
One of our staff found this large caterpillar this morning climbing the wall of the university in Corpus Christi, TX. It is about 5″ long and 3/4″ diameter. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Woody
Hi Woody,
It has taken me hours of web searching to finally identify your Ficus Sphinx, Pachylia ficus, which I finally found on this site. According to Bill Oehlke: “The Fig sphinx, Pachylia ficus (Wing span: 4 3/4 – 5 1/2 inches (12 – 14 cm)) flies from Uruguay north through Central America, Mexico, and the West Indies to Florida, southern Texas, and southern Arizona. It occasionally strays as far north as Indiana and Pennsylvania.” Additionally, there are several color morphs to the larvae, but one is exactly like your image. Thank you for your patience in this matter.