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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Moths » Bombycoidea » Sphinx Moths (Sphingidae) » Macroglossinae » Dilophonotini » Pachylia » Fig Sphinx - Hodges#7841 (Pachylia ficus)
Photo#88584
Massive hornworm, side close-up - Pachylia ficus
Copyright © 2006 Joshua Stuart Rose

Massive hornworm, side close-up - Pachylia ficus
McAllen, Hidalgo County, Texas, USA
October 24, 2006
Cannot find this one in the Guide, or on Bill Oehlke's site, and my copy of Wagner is at work. Our housekeeper found this beast in our backyard, saying it had fallen out of the trees nearby as she took out the trash. So, no host plant to narrow the possibilities; our backyard includes Live Oak, Texas Sugarberry, and Texas Ebony among others.

Images of this individual: tag all
Massive hornworm, side close-up - Pachylia ficus Massive hornworm, dorsal view - Pachylia ficus Massive hornworm, facial - Pachylia ficus Massive hornworm, returning to the wild - Pachylia ficus
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Contributed by Joshua Stuart Rose on 26 November, 2006 - 12:10am
Last updated 27 November, 2006 - 12:57pm

Moved
Moved from Sphinx Moths.
… Joshua Stuart Rose, 27 November, 2006 - 12:57pm login or register to post comments

How massive was it?
80mm long? 100mm? 120mm? Longer?
… Jim McClarin, 26 November, 2006 - 7:24am login or register to post comments

 
maybe longer?
I did not have a ruler at the time, but it was clearly longer, and thicker, than my index finger. I am now measuring my finger at 100 mm long and 20 thick (3.5 and 0.75 inches).

I am now at the office and looking at Wagner. Still not seeing a match. Erynnyis ello comes closest, but this worm differs from that one in several conspicuous ways...

Joshua S. Rose, Ph.D.
World Birding Center
Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park
joshua.rose_NO_SPAM@tpwd.state.tx.us
956-584-9156 x 236
… Joshua Stuart Rose, 26 November, 2006 - 12:20pm login or register to post comments

 
Pachylia ficus
It does look like Pachylia ficus to me.
… Bill Oehlke, 26 November, 2006 - 5:44pm login or register to post comments

 
Link:
Here. They change color.
… Jim McClarin, 26 November, 2006 - 8:07pm login or register to post comments

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