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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) » Sphinginae » Sphingini » Lapara » Northern Pine Sphinx - Hodges#7817 (Lapara bombycoides)
Photo#216942
Caterpillar in White Pine - Lapara bombycoides
Copyright © 2008 Audrey R Hoff

Caterpillar in White Pine - Lapara bombycoides
Sevier County, Tennessee, USA
August 8, 2008
Did anyone decide on an ID on this caterpillar found in the White Pine outside the UT Field Station? Gathering_2008
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Contributed by Audrey R Hoff on 22 August, 2008 - 11:16pm
Last updated 27 July, 2014 - 10:59am

Moved
Moved from Lapara.
… Ryan St Laurent, 27 July, 2014 - 10:59am login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Smoky Mountains, Tennessee, August 8-10, 2008.
… Lynette Elliott, 31 August, 2008 - 3:01pm login or register to post comments

Pine Sphinx
Pine Sphinx, Lapara species, either Lapara bombycoides (Northern Pine Sphinx) or Lapara coniferarum (Pine Sphinx). From statements on the guide pages, it would appear that either could occur in the Smokies and that the cats cannot be distinguished. Looking at my close-ups of the "cone", it is translucent, and one can see the Pine Sphinx head pattern underneath. Seems our hypothesis of a bit of the last moult is good. Compare, especially, this photo:

I measured the length of this one to be 27 mm.
… Cotinis, 31 August, 2008 - 2:48pm login or register to post comments

 
Detail of "conehead"
is here on my Flickr site.
… Cotinis, 31 August, 2008 - 6:08pm login or register to post comments

cone-headed?
Are my eyes playing tricks on me or is this caterpillar cone-headed?
… Lynette Elliott, 23 August, 2008 - 10:41am login or register to post comments

 
Yes, it is cone-headed! The
Yes, it is cone-headed! The theory was that it was a remnant of a previous moult. (Or, that is was from France - an old SNL reference.)
… Audrey R Hoff, 23 August, 2008 - 10:13pm login or register to post comments

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