A surreal looking beast - Syssphinx hubbardi

Syssphinx hubbardi

I have also found one of these wonderful guys. The one I have in solid reddish/brown with silver spikes. I have a habitat to keep it in. What do I feed it? How long does it take to change?

… Rebecca Holman, 7 August, 2008 - 3:42pm

legumes

If you find another one, they feed primarily on trees in the legume family. Try any species of mesquite or acacia that you have growing in the neighborhood.

… Joshua Stuart Rose, 2 September, 2008 - 11:15am

Sorry, I don't know

I had only posted the photo for a friend. Since then I've seen the Moth around - seems to be living on something here in the desert...

… margarethe brummermann, 7 August, 2008 - 4:04pm

Are you sure?

There are several species of Syssphinx/Sphingocampa that are supposed to reach or almost reach southern Arizona. I have no idea what they look like, but this seems like an extreme (though spectacular!) variation.

For example, this image of "Sphingocampa montana" looks like it has a bluer head capsule:

I wonder if this color combination is the result of a green caterpillar turning red underneath the pigmentation? I've seen images of sphinx moth caterpillars that had turned the purplish-red you see on the back as they were dying from parasitoid wasp larvae.

… Chuck Entz, 26 August, 2007 - 10:57pm

No, I'm not sure - that's one

No, I'm not sure - that's one reason I posted it. I have seen sphinx caterpillars change color just before they turned into the pupa and also just before wasp larvae broke the skin. Since my friend did not keep the caterpillar, we will not find out from this one, I'm afraid.

… margarethe brummermann, 26 August, 2007 - 11:41pm

Surely

One of the finest cats I have ever seen.

… Herschel Raney, 26 August, 2007 - 10:20pm

whoa

that's a beautiful caterpillar!

… Ray Simpson, 26 August, 2007 - 9:55pm