Subject: Identify Caterpillar
Geographic location of the bug: Omaha, NE
Date: 08/05/2018
Time: 04:59 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: I cannot find any photos of this particular caterpillar, the closest I have found is the Bedstraw Hawkmoth. My husband said it spit green fluid at him.
How you want your letter signed: Angela
Dear Angela,
It is to be expected that insects (and other creatures for that matter) that are classified in the same genus will share many traits. You have the genus correct, but not the species. This is a White Lined Sphinx Caterpillar, Hyles lineata, a caterpillar that is found in several different color variations. When conditions are favorable, there can be population explosions of caterpillars, especially in arid desert climates. The adult White Lined Sphinx flies at dawn and dusk and is frequently mistaken for a hummingbird. The moths are also attracted to lights.