Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
 

Register · Log In
HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

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) » Macroglossinae » Macroglossini » Hyles » White-lined Sphinx - Hodges#7894 (Hyles lineata)
Photo#52725
Hornworm?? - Hyles lineata
Copyright © 2006 Martina

Hornworm?? - Hyles lineata
San Marcos, San Diego County, California, USA
May 18, 2006
Size: about 3 inches
This caterpillar is eating my gaura (it's ok, I don't mind). In my cursory research, I couldn't find another caterpillar besides the hornworm that has a horn. Doesn't look like any hornworm I've seen. Any thoughts?
tag · login or register to post comments
Contributed by Martina on 18 May, 2006 - 3:11pm
Last updated 20 July, 2013 - 9:28am

Moved
Moved from Hyles.
… Ryan St Laurent, 20 July, 2013 - 9:28am login or register to post comments

Horn
You're in the right neighborhood, with that horn on the rear. Has to be a Sphinx, and I believe the genus is Hyles. Hyles lineata, perhaps? Wagner says that species is quite variable in color and markings...

--Stephen

Stephen Cresswell
Buckhannon, WV
www.stephencresswell.com
… Stephen_WV, 18 May, 2006 - 3:26pm login or register to post comments

 
I found it!
It's the Hawk Moth Caterpillar - Hyles euphorbiae!

Thanks for your input!
… Martina, 18 May, 2006 - 3:37pm login or register to post comments

 
Are you sure?
Gaura is in the Onagraceae (Evening primrose family) which fits better with Hyles lineata, or Hyles gallii, both known to feed on this family. Hyles euphorbiae seems to be more host-specific to Euphorbia relatives. "The host range of H. euphorbiae appears restricted to plants in the subgenus Esula of the genus Euphorbia. ...There are a few native Euphorbia spp. in the U.S. that could potentially be hosts for H. euphorbiae, though no feeding has yet been documented under field conditions. H. euphorbiae will not feed on poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima), and crop species and native plants outside the genus Euphorbia will not be attacked" according to this site (Cornell).

Gaura is specifically listed as a host for Hyles lineata on this site.
… Hannah Nendick-Mason, 18 May, 2006 - 4:08pm login or register to post comments

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.

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:

Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology at Iowa State University logo

Printer Friendly Version 		Terms of Use
Privacy Statement
Site Map
Contact