Look Who I Found Today!

14 years ago

Some of you may have seen my post a couple weeks ago about the honkin' big ol' caterpillar I found on my sweet potato vine "bouquet." He was more than 4" long and nearly as thick as my finger.

I determined he was a Carolina Sphinx Moth caterpillar (one of the hummingbird moths), also called a Tobacco Hornworm. After Googling him, I found out he would need some dirt for his pupa to wiggle into, so I put a margarine tub full in his cage, and in short order, he dug down into the dirt and disappeared.

But today...he reappeared once again as a beautifully camouflaged Carolina Sphinx Moth, ready to fly come nightfall. (I just so happened to see one at dusk last night, feeding on my pink pentas, so I reckon he'll have company when he decides to take his first flight.)

Here are some photos to show you the size and markings on this beauty. I'm SO glad I found him and let him go through his metamorphosis. Ain't nature GRAND???

This is what I saw when I checked my butterfly cage this morning.

Mark held the cage open for me so I could get a quick picture, in case he flew.

A better look at the cloth cage, which I got at Lukas. I use it a lot, though I actually prefer a little clear plastic critter container I found at PetSmart.

I needn't have worried about him flying. He apparently would rather not move until dusk. Here you can see the size of him, compared to my hand.

And here is a close up of him resting on my screen, where he still is clinging, over 2 hours later. If he were resting on the trunk of a tree, he would be completely invisible.

From egg, to caterpillar, to pupa, to moth. Another miracle in the garden!

Marcia

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Comments (8)

laura1
14 years ago
Cool! It is neat to put a name to a face or a caterpillar with a moth as the case may be. Nice pics.
manature
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks, Laura. I love this guy! I just noticed he has moved on, so I hope he's gone to find himself a protected spot to rest until nightfall.

Marcia
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an_ill-mannered_ache
14 years ago
very cool marcia...
KaraLynn
14 years ago
Very neat looking moth! I haven't seen that one yet but I do have 3 other varities of sphinx moths that hang out on my front porch every day. I spend a few minutes nearly every day after work moving them from the inside of the screens to the outside.
johnjsr
14 years ago
I found one of those about five years ago. I kept it in a container in my greenhouse until it emerged. However, it didn't wait until nightfall to fly away. It waited til I went into the house to get my camera. So I was never able to identify it. (This was before google) ;>) So thanks for the I.D. Now, a question. What is that on the walk way, just above the hand in the next to last photo?

john
manature
Original Author
14 years ago
Hahahaha, John! That's the back end of a little sausagey doggie of mine...my chocolate and tan dachshund, Maks. He's always getting some part of him in my pictures, except when I'm TRYING to get a photo of him!

I'm hoping to see TWO sphinx moths on the pentas tonight. Maybe I'll recognize "mine!" *grin*

Glad y'all enjoyed the pictures, everybody!

Marcia
happy_fl_gardener; 9a, near DeLand
14 years ago
Marcia---You are quite the step-mom! Complete with "empty nest syndrome". You didn't get to keep him long but just long enough to add joy to your life. How rewarding. With the markings the moth has, I bet it would be near impossible to find him in the wild. I can see where the butterfly netting is a necessity.

Christine
manature
Original Author
14 years ago
I reckon I do have a touch of emtpy nest syndrome, Christine, but I didn't net this guy. I found the caterpillar and kept it safe from harm in a butterfly enclosure until it went through the cycle. As soon as we found the moth had emerged from the dirt, we released him.

You are right, I would never see him against a tree. But I do hope to see him visit my flower beds this evening, along with the other one I saw last night. I'm going to be very alert as it begins to grow dark outside.

The other night, as I went to take the dogs out, I noticed what I thought was a green anole moving up my screen, inside the back porch. I thought it odd, since it was late at night, and they are usually active mostly in the daytime. So I took a closer look, and it was a gecko, rather than an anole. While I know there are populations of geckos established in this area, you don't see them real often. I was surprised to find him, and he was VERY cute.

I wonder if he was trying to sell me auto insurance????

Been meaning to tell you that the giant red canna you gave me is fantastic! Blooming like crazy all summer long, and making new cannas at the base. It's the only one I have right now that isn't declining for the winter yet. Thanks so much!! The hummers love it!

Marcia