#pandorussphinx

This is Eumorpha pandorus or the Pandorus Sphinx. This incredibly large moth visited me on the same night as we found the Darapsa versicolor larvae. It was amazing watching it fly across the field and to the sheet. What’s even cooler, is that this is a female. She’s now (hopefully) laying eggs in my lab! In order to keep her well fed, I’m feeding her twice a day by hand, which is kind of cool. I’ll try and get a video. Female Eumorpha can be notoriously tricky to obtain eggs from. I have a couple of ideas, and if any work, I’ll be posting some more information on www.sphingidae.us. Eumorpha pandorus larvae are incredibly variable. They come in green, yellow, red, salmon, brown, and orange. I am also using this species for my thesis work, so I really hope she lays some eggs! #Eumorpha #Eumorphapandorus #PandorusSphinx #SphinxMoth #HawkMoth #Sphingidae #Lepidoptera #Entomology #Insects #Macro #Moth #RearingMoths #Research #Macroglossinae #Website https://www.instagram.com/p/B0yEGzfA-3k/?igshid=1ci7kynxoom1e

LOOK AT THIS CUTIE. This is Eumorpha pandorus (Pandorus Sphinx) and it's a very special caterpillar. I reared this larva from an egg from the adult Eumorpha pandorus I posted a while back. This species is one of the main ones I'm working with for my thesis project because the larvae can come in a number of color forms. Pictured here is a third instar E. pandorus that is green colored. The white blotches around the spiracles in this larva are cream, instead of the normal white. This species can also come in orange, brown, black, yellow, and red. It's pretty phenominal the amount of coloration this species can have! They are out and about right now in the Northeast, so if you have a lot of Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia Creeper), Parthenocissus vitacea (Grape Woodbine), or Vitis (Grape), it's worth taking a look for this magnificent larva. If you happen to find a few, consider sending them to me to assist in my research :). Eumorpha pandorus is easily one of the most charasmatic sphingids found in the Northeast, and can be found all the way to Southern Florida and west to the Great Plains. The final instar of this larva is just massive and sort of resembles a walking sausage. Another fun fact about this species is the caudual horn. You can see in this image it's rather long and curly, resembling a Grape or Virginia Creeper tendril, the fourth instar will lose it's horn entirely, being replaced by a really cool false eyespot. I'll post a LOT more photos of this larva as it grows, as well as other Eumorpha pandorus larvae when/if I find some! #Sphingidae #SphingidaeUSA #Eumorpha #Eumorphapandorus #PandorusSphinx #Hawkmoths #SphinxMoths #Insects #Caterpillar #GradWork #Projects #Moth #Lepidoptera #Entomology #Insects_Of_Our_World #igclub_butterfly #igcb_mothmonday https://www.instagram.com/p/B2IJ3ZIAdB3/?igshid=epv7h6xgi0y7

Well look at that. I found a pandorus! This time, about a stone's throw from my parent's backyard in Boston. This is the second time I've encountered this species in Boston, the first being in 2017 when a HUGE adult female flew into my parent's mudporch and scared my mother half to death (they're BIG moths). Anyways, this larva is another green form (like the one I posted that I had reared) and is a larger third instar. You can see the caudual horn has shrunk significantly, and will dissapear the next time this larva sheds. What was also pretty cool, was that on a nearby tree, I found a big green 4th instar too! I'll post pictures of that separately. Enjoy this rare in-situ photo :). I really prefer my lab photography setup, but this works very nicely too. #Sphingidae #SphingidaeUSA #Eumorpha #Eumorphapandorus #PandorusSphinx #Hawkmoths #SphinxMoths #Insects #Caterpillar #GradWork #Projects #Moth #Lepidoptera #Entomology #Insects_Of_Our_World #igclub_butterfly #igcb_mothmonday https://www.instagram.com/p/B2Mi8C_AmZX/?igshid=yezslorjceam

Found this Pandora Sphinx Moth for my insect collection...4.5" across!!! #eumorphapandorus #pandorussphinx #pandorussphinxmoth #pandorasphinxmoth #pandorasphinx #moth #entomology #insects #insectcollecting #insectcollection #insectcollector (at Greenwood Reserve Apartment Homes in Olathe, KS)

#PandorusSphinx #GiantMoth #lepidoptera #Moth #arthropoda (at Licking County)