Subject: Death head hawkmoth
Geographic location of the bug: Central Florida
Date: 07/15/2018
Time: 02:03 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: This is a picture of the bug I saw in Florida
How you want your letter signed: Jennifer Bouchard
Dear Jennifer,
As we indicated when you commented that you found a Death’s Head Hawkmoth Caterpillar in Florida: “We suspect you saw a different related Hornworm that is native to North America.” Now that you have submitted an image, we can confirm that not only did not not see a Death’s Head Hawkmoth Caterpillar, we can tell you that you did see a Rustic Sphinx Caterpillar. There are images on Sphingidae of the Americas to confirm your sighting. There is a strong resemblance between these two caterpillars from the same family, despite the miles that separate their ranges.