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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Moths » Bombycoidea » Sphinx Moths (Sphingidae) » Macroglossinae » Macroglossini » Xylophanes » Tersa Sphinx - Hodges#7890 (Xylophanes tersa)
Photo#150891
Caterpillar (butterfly or moth?) - Xylophanes tersa
Copyright © 2007 dj

Caterpillar (butterfly or moth?) - Xylophanes tersa
McAllen, TX, USA, Higalgo County, Texas, USA
October 6, 2007
Size: 2.25"

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Caterpillar (butterfly or moth?) - Xylophanes tersa Caterpillar (butterfly or moth?) - Xylophanes tersa Caterpillar (butterfly or moth?) - Xylophanes tersa
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Contributed by dj on 8 October, 2007 - 11:17am
Last updated 12 October, 2007 - 3:41pm

Could be the caterpillar of the Tersa Sphinx
Definitely a sphinx moth.
… margarethe brummermann, 8 October, 2007 - 11:35am login or register to post comments

 
Thanks!
So I googled sphinx moth and found some decent shots that seem to match:

http://melanys.tripod.com/Sphinx.htm

Thank you for the help!
… dj, 8 October, 2007 - 1:38pm login or register to post comments

 
Tersa Sphinx, Xylophanes tersa
not just any sphinx. There are hundreds of species.
… margarethe brummermann, 8 October, 2007 - 2:07pm login or register to post comments

 
You're right
Good point. I actually googled both with and without tersa, because without came up with too many pictures that didn't match ;) I just neglected to post that!

Do you know if it MUST eat tomato or pepper plant? I'd like to keep it alive.
… dj, 8 October, 2007 - 2:14pm login or register to post comments

 
You needn't be Googling : )
we have a simple guide page for the species on this site. See here. This is not one of the hornworms that typically feed on pepper and tomato. Pentas is probably the most readily available foodplant of the ones listed. If you found it wandering away from plants it's probably getting ready to pupate, though - no further feeding necessary, instead it needs loose soil/leaves to burrow into.
… Hannah Nendick-Mason, 8 October, 2007 - 3:51pm login or register to post comments

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