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Photo#199457
Red caterpillar - Eumorpha achemon

Red caterpillar - Eumorpha achemon
Pedricktown, Salem County, New Jersey, USA
July 8, 2008
Size: ~2''
I found this beauty on grapes. Please help me identify it. I did a search for red caterpillar and found a picture of banded sphinx moth caterpillar, but it looks different. Mine has long "horn" curved towards its head, an eye at the base of the horn and no eyes near the slanted stripes on the sides. I appears to be in defensive pose and I did not see it move much a couple times I came back to take a look. The day was very windy and leaves kept flapping none stop. I did not see any signs of it feeding on grape leaves, though it's hard to tell - we are in the beginning of Japanese beetle season.

Moved
Moved from Pandorus Sphinx.

Keep it!
This cute little caterpillar will grow to a beautiful Eumorpha pandorus, the Pandora Sphinx.

 
Thank you so much. They are b
Thank you so much. They are beautiful. I'll see if it is still there today and monitor its progress.