Hornworm with wasp parasites - Agrius cingulata

Pink Spotted Hawkmoth

Last instar larva of the Pink Spotted Hawkmoth, Agrius cingulata

… Jim Tuttle, 9 September, 2005 - 12:41am

Thanks, Jim!

Judging by this webpage your ID is right on the mark. The host plant is right too, being Convolvulaceae.

… Hannah Nendick-Mason, 9 September, 2005 - 7:35am

pupa

Here's a link to some info on those pupa

… john and jane balaban, 4 November, 2004 - 7:49pm

That was a great photo and in

That was a great photo and information. Thanks for the link! Sad for the caterpillar. :-(

… Sheila , 5 November, 2004 - 7:02am

Sphinx Moth caterpillar with parasites

Looks like a Sphinx moth caterpillar, though I don't know which species. The little tail is one indication.

The white items (alas for her) are not her eggs, but parasites. A wasp had laid her eggs in the caterpillar and now these are the pupae of the wasps. If I'm not mistaken few if any parasitized caterpillars make it to the adult stage.

I'll leave it for the experts to say, but the brown coloration may be related to the poor health of the caterpillar. My garden had some green tomato hornworms that ended up being brown tomato hornworms as they weakened and died from the parasitism. On the other hand maybe this species of caterpillar is always brown.

Good job with the photography!

--Stephen

Stephen Cresswell
Buckhannon, WV
www.stephencresswell.com

… Stephen_WV, 4 November, 2004 - 3:55pm

Could be tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta,

as it has the indicative seven diagonal stripes. I haven't found an image of a brown one so perhaps the parasites have changed the color, as Stephen described.

… Hannah Nendick-Mason, 5 November, 2004 - 7:02am

Thanks so much!!

… Sheila , 4 November, 2004 - 6:25pm