Subject: What’s this bug?
Geographic location of the bug: Friendsville, TN
Date: 08/26/2018
Time: 09:06 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Was pulling weeds and uncovered this guy under a root ball(mostly crabgrass). The white side wiggled a bit, I turned him over with a stick to get a photo of his belly. He’s about the size of an adult finger, any ideas?
How you want your letter signed: DugABug
Dear DugABug,
Do you have a Pentas vine nearby? This is the pupa of a Tersa Sphinx moth, Xylophanes tersa, and the Tersa Sphinx caterpillars are frequently found feeding on Pentas. Though the pupal state is generally thought of as an immobile period of metamorphosis, many pupa are quite active, as you witnessed.