Subject: Horn worm
Geographic location of the bug: Waiotahe Valley, Bay of Plenty
Date: 02/06/2019
Time: 05:15 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Hi there.
What do they eat? Are they harmful? Found on ex forestry block!
How you want your letter signed: Gertie
Dear Gertie,
This is a Hornworm, the larva of a Hawkmoth in the family Sphingidae. Its color, markings and the look of its horn lead us to believe this is the larva of a Convolvulus Hawkmoth, Agrius convolvuli, which is pictured on New Zealand Invertebrates where it states: “Favoured host plants in NZ are the bindweed and kumara.” Butterfly House also provides a list of food plants.