Leafy Spurge Hawkmoth Caterpillar

Subject:  Hornworm many spots
Geographic location of the bug:  North Dakota USA
Date: 08/17/2018
Time: 08:57 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Hi bugman,
Found this little guy walking along a plaved pathway. Looked through submissions and couldn’t identify myself.
How you want your letter signed:  BiochemGuy

Dear BiochemGuy,
Your Hornworm is a Leafy Spurge Hawkmoth Caterpillar, Hyles euphorbiae, which is pictured on Sphingidae of the Americas where it states:  “The leafy spurge hawk moth,  Hyles euphorbiae (length: 2-3 cm, wingspan: 5-7 cm), was the first classical biological agent released against leafy spurge in the United States, with approval for introduction granted in 1965. Populations of this insect are present in several western states, including Montana, Idaho, North Dakota, Wyoming, Minnesota and Oregon, and now Washington (Spokane County; David Droppers; BAMONA). The moth was also introduced from Europe into Ontario, Canada, and then into Alberta where specimens are occasionally still taken.”