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Created/dedicated as per personal communication with Candice Keller, September 8, 2011 Updated as per James P. Tuttle's The Hawk Moths of North America, September 8, 2011 Updated as per BAMONA website, September 8, 2011 |
Candice writes, "Hi, I was looking up some caterpillars that my husband and I just pulled off of my red flowering plum tree (they were munching away) and was trying
to identify them. They look like the lime hawk moths to me -- not for sure though. They are lime green with pinkish red spots, diagonal whitish slashes up their sides
and they have a pointy tail. They seem to be about as long as my little pinky, but when stretched out, they get closer to my ring or pointer finger. One is
longer than the other and seems to be coated in a dusty white, though it is still the lime green. I have one picture, but I will try to get a better one here in a
bit. They did not like being taken off of the branch they were on and tried (what seemed) to bite at my husband -- kind of funny!
"They are very pretty, but I do not want them eating up my poor plum tree I just planted this last spring.
"We do see hummingbird moths here. They are beautiful, but I think they are actually the White Lined Sphinx moth. I have never been able to capture a picture of
them. They seem to come out just at dusk
and feed on the evening primrose here. They are fast. and do not stay around long, but the markings and colors of the White Lined Sphinx moth seem to be what
we are seeing and not the actual Hummingbird Clearwing moth.
"We live in White Salmon, Washington 98672."
http://www.silkmoths.bizland.com/waKingsphlar.htm
Here is a pictoral checklist for Klickitat County adult Sphingidae.
http://www.silkmoths.bizland.com/waKlickitatsph.htm
I would not expect you to have Lime Hawkmoth in Washington as that is a European species.
Based on plum as a foodplant, you are probably seeing Sphinx drupiferarum larvae.
"Thanks, and they do look like the pictures on your links! I just cannot tell which one for sure. I just read your article with the homeschool mom from Texas that
saved the tomato hornworm and read the part about the white spots. one of them has a ton of the white spots and the other has a few. Can I fix them? I did put the
caterpillars into a clear plastic container, but did not know that I needed a lid though, so I will find something better for them in the morning.
My kids love to do these kind of things. We bring in preying mantis egg sacs when we find them and let them hatch. So the children are excited for a moth.
I just hope the spots are not the parasites, and, if they are, what can I do? thank you, candice
i tried to pick the clearest pictures. The picture with just the finger pointing up is my husband's and I put my whole hand in. I tried to include the white spots
in too. I don't know if you can use any of these photos. They sure are pretty. Thank you for your time."
I reply, "Hi Candice,
Both Paonias excaecata and Paonias myops have granulated skin, and your larvae are one of those two species.
The granulated skin is defined by large numbers of slightly raised white bumps which appear in a pattern.
Most often the larvae of myops and excaecata are without the red spots that your larvae are showing, but I reared about seventy of the Paonias excaecata
here this summer and a small percentage also had some red spotting. Myops sometimes also have them, and both species can be found on plum.
"One of the larvae definitely has parasitic eggs on its head and thorax. If the eggs are very fresh and the parasite larvae have not hatched and burrowed into
the caterpillar, you can delicately remove them with a pin or needle, being careful not to puncture the caterpillar. If there is a little dark spot on the
caterpillar’s skin under the egg, you are too late. The parasitic wasps and flies are harmless to humans, but if you are going to try to rear a couple of these
larvae, pick ones without parasite eggs or little black spots where older parasites might have entered.
"Good luck. I wish permission to use images, credited to you, on a Klickitat County page I will create??"
"Oh, and I dug up a pupae that was dark brown this last spring in my dad's yard in Trout Lake, WA, and brought it home to hatch for the kids. I don't
remember specifically what it looked like, but I know it had the pinks and browns when it hatched. I dig them up all the time in my yard.
Just never thought to let them hatch."
Only seventeen Sphingidae species are listed for Washington on the BAMONA website. Not all of the species are reported or anticipated in Klickitat County (Four are reported on BAMONA as of September 8, 2011). It is hoped that this checklist, with the thumbnails and notes, will help you quickly identify the larvae you are likely to encounter. A "WO" after the species name indicates that I have no confirmed reports of this species in your county, but I (William Oehlke) expect that this moth with its larvae are present or might be present. I have included many species not on the BAMONA list for Washington; I believe they are or might be present
A "BAMONA" indicates the moth is reported in Lepidoptera of North America, #1. Distribution of Silkmoths (Saturniidae) and Hawkmoths (Sphingidae) of Eastern North America, an excellent little booklet available through Paul Opler.
Please help me develop this list with improved, documented accuracy by sending sightings (species, date, location), preferably with an electronic image, via email to Bill Oehlke.
Please also send your sightings to BAMONA, an excellent online resource.
Sphinginae subfamily
Smerinthini Tribe:
Macroglossinae subfamilyDilophonotini tribe:
Macroglossini tribe:
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Enjoy some of nature's wonderments, giant silk moth cocoons. These cocoons are for sale winter and fall. Beautiful Saturniidae moths will emerge the following spring and summer. Read Actias luna rearing article. Additional online help available.
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