Mike Quinn sent me the images below. Cat Traylor found the pupa under her porch in Edinburg, Hidalgo County, Texas, on December 5, 2005. She brought it indoors and a moth emerged on January 4, 2006.
While watering her plants on Christmas Eve, 2005, Cat discovered and photographed another Xylophanes pluto from the same locale.
Who could resist a "face" like this?
I've got a hedge of firebush that is about six feet tall lining both sides of my driveway. Haven't trimmed it to a decent size because I was hoping to attract pluto sphinx moths. Seems to have worked!!! Am thinking that's what they were using as a larval host? Unless it's pentas? I have a couple of those in the front flower bed."
Larvae feed on Milkberry (Chiococca species),
Firebush (Hamelia patens), Indian Mulberry (Morinda royoc)
and Erythroxylon species. Most likely the larvae were feeding on
the Firebush.
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