Sphinx Moth Caterpillar - Agrius cingulata

Moved

… john and jane balaban, 20 July, 2008 - 8:55pm

Moved

… john and jane balaban, 13 October, 2006 - 8:32pm

Ugh....

I've exhausted all resources I can find on sphinx caterpillars and have found 4 that basically fit your caterpillar.The Waved sphinx has dark spiracles and light lines like yours. It doesn't have the stripe on the anal plate like yours does, though, and has a granulose horn. The Plebian Sphinx has the anal plate stripe, but has granules on the skin, which I cant make out in these pictures. The Great Ash Sphinx has the light lines also. My personal favorite is the Pawpaw Sphinx. It has the lines, and also has the outlined spiracles, which your picture has and none of the others here have. So I'd have to go with the Pawpaw Sphinx. It's apparently in your area, but I'm sure its not common. It doesn't eat just pawpaw, but it doesn't eat your Moonvine either (but then again neither do any other sphinxes that even closely resemble yours). Hope this is of any help, I can't find much more info.

… Michael Garcia, 14 September, 2006 - 4:34pm

I think I finally figured it out!

I think this is the caterpillar of the pink-spotted hawkmoth. The Info tab says "Larva may be green or brown, with eyespots and diagonal stripes." Also, according to this link: http://www.silkmoths.bizland.com/acingula.htm they "have at least three color morphs: usually green, brown or yellow." When I went back and looked for the caterpillar, I found one but it was brown and looked identical to this one:

I think this is the same caterpillar, since the markings are still the same and the size is approximately 3/4" larger (which would take the caterpillar's growth rate into account). I think it just turned brown. Although I can't find moonvine listed as a larval host plant for a sphinx moth, morning glory and "related plants" are listed as a host plant for the pink-spotted hawkmoth. Are moonvine and morning glory a related species? I observed the caterpillar eating the moonvine foliage so I'm certain it must be a host plant. I will post a picture of the brown caterpillar shortly.

… Jason Widlacki, 14 September, 2006 - 8:22pm

I think you're right!

I thought that this caterpillar was kind of a long shot, but now that I see it, I can tell the resemblance. I found a picture of a green Pink-spotted Hawkmoth (Agrius cingulata) caterpillar at http://www.silkmoths.bizland.com/acingula.htm that looks similar. It has black markings, but these may not have developed yet in this recently molted caterpillar. The website also says that there are 3 phases: Brown, Green and Yellow, so maybe this could also be a yellow variety. Don't know for sure, but I think this is a Pink-spotted Hawkmoth!

… Michael Garcia, 14 September, 2006 - 9:17pm

Makes sense to me...

...especially since quite a few pink-spotted hawkmoths would visit the moonflowers last year from september to october (I haven't seen any this year but then again I haven't been looking for them every night so I'm sure they still come around).

… Jason Widlacki, 14 September, 2006 - 9:24pm

Mourning Glory and Moonvine are related

Quick response! Yeah I'm sure you'll start seeing the adults pretty soon, if you found caterpillar they're probably hiding somewhere. I was looking through the plants of Virginia in hopes of finding something that feed on a related plant. Moonvine is in the same family as Mourning Glories, Bindweed, Dodder, and Sweet Potatoes, to name a few.

… Michael Garcia, 14 September, 2006 - 9:29pm

Thanks

Thanks for the info Michael!

… Jason Widlacki, 15 September, 2006 - 3:03pm

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