Caterpillar ID please - Smerinthus jamaicensis - BugGuide.Net

HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp

Clickable Guide

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Registration is open for the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2023

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29

Previous events

TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData

Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Silkworm, Sphinx, and Royal Moths (Bombycoidea) » Sphinx Moths (Sphingidae) » Smerinthinae » Smerinthini » Smerinthus » Twin-spotted Sphinx - Hodges#7821 (Smerinthus jamaicensis)

Photo#142211

Copyright © 2007 Mary Lee Nesfeder

Caterpillar ID please - Smerinthus jamaicensis

Perkasie, Pennsylvania, USA
September 2, 2007
Size: approx 3" extended

Never seen anything like this before. His head is shaped like a triangle and he has what looks like threads on each side of him and they meet at the back and extend upward.

Images of this individual: tag all

Caterpillar ID please - Smerinthus jamaicensis

Caterpillar ID please - Smerinthus jamaicensis

tag · login or register to post comments

Contributed by Mary Lee Nesfeder on 2 September, 2007 - 6:02pm
Last updated 8 April, 2022 - 10:58am

Moved

Moved from Sphinx Moths.

… Ryan St Laurent, 8 April, 2022 - 10:58am

login or register to post comments

Moved

Moved from Giant Silkworm and Royal Moths.

… john and jane balaban, 11 November, 2007 - 10:01am

login or register to post comments

Moved

Moved from Butterflies and Moths.

… john and jane balaban, 11 November, 2007 - 10:00am

login or register to post comments

Hornworm

A sphinx moth caterpillar in the Family Sphingidae.

The triangular structure is actually the area behind the head, which is the little thing at the bottom. The light-colored areas are just stripes, which in the back continue up the caterpillar's "horn".

I don't know much about how to tell sphinx caterpillars apart, but in general it's very helpful to know what it was eating before ending up where you photographed it: most species are genetically programmed to eat very specific kinds of plants- if you know the food plant, you can narrow down the ID to few or even a single species.

… Chuck Entz, 2 September, 2007 - 6:35pm

login or register to post comments

So, based on the second photo...

...this would be a "Tobacco Hornworm"? :-)

… Jay Barnes, 2 September, 2007 - 9:00pm

login or register to post comments

haha

I was about to reply, being all, "no, I don't think so...." but now I get your hilarious joke :)

Anyways, I think this is Smerinthus jamaicensis, the Twin-spotted Sphinx. This would be fun to raise. Feed it willow or poplar leaves, and provide some dirt for it to dig into when it's ready to pupate.

… Bobby Grizzard, 2 September, 2007 - 11:46pm

login or register to post comments

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2024 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Printer Friendly Version

Terms of Use
Privacy Statement
Site Map
Contact