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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Silkworm, Sphinx, and Royal Moths (Bombycoidea) » Sphinx Moths (Sphingidae) » Macroglossinae » Macroglossini » Xylophanes » Tersa Sphinx - Hodges#7890 (Xylophanes tersa)

Photo#149957

Copyright © 2007 Gw Ponder

Sphinx - Xylophanes tersa

Birmingham, Alabama, USA
October 2, 2007
Size: Approximately 1.4 inch

I have no idea what species this is but he/she was unique to the garden. I don't know what's extending from the backside (poo maybe?). It almost looked like a protective spike.

Images of this individual: tag all

Sphinx - Xylophanes tersa

Sphinx - Xylophanes tersa

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Contributed by Coppertop on 3 October, 2007 - 1:53pm
Last updated 14 August, 2014 - 7:28am

Moved

Moved from Pluto Sphinx.

… john and jane balaban, 1 July, 2012 - 8:39pm

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Moved

Moved from Tersa Sphinx.

… john and jane balaban, 1 July, 2012 - 8:37pm

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I've moved these to the guide

I have also edited your forms to remove the title "Carolina Sphinx", which could be misleading on a search, and to check the "immature" box, so these will show up in a search of caterpillars. Thanks for your contribution to BugGuide! If you have any other interesting bugs in your yard, please keep posting!

… Hannah Nendick-Mason, 5 October, 2007 - 10:12am

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Not the Carolina Sphinx, I think

- the large eyespot visible near the front looks wrong for that species (see below left), and also it appears this caterpillar has two parallel white lines along its back. This is an artistically interesting shot but unfortunately not the best for ID purposes. Were there any more eyespots beyond the first? If so, Tersa Sphinx (below, right) is a possibility.

The spiky tail is what gives this group of caterpillars the common name of "hornworms."

… Hannah Nendick-Mason, 3 October, 2007 - 7:07pm

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Thanks

While I first thought this guy was about to go into a cocoon, he keeps moving and multiplying. Now I've got three hanging around eating leafs.

… Coppertop, 3 October, 2007 - 8:03pm

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Sphinx moths pupate in the soil

or in loose leaf litter. If they are motionless on the host plant, they are just resting, possibly prior to a molt.

… Hannah Nendick-Mason, 4 October, 2007 - 10:26am

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