#sphinxmoths

by Kelly Louise Judd

This is the next instar of Eumorpha fasciatus (Banded Sphinx). This individual is a fourth instar and has magnificent red coloration. The bands along the side are bright white. What's interesting, was that this larva molted into a really gorgeous multi-colored form in it's final instar. It's super interesting how some larvae change their colors multiple times throughout their life. I know I've mentioned it before, but because this is my thesis work, I'll likely mention it several more times. This larva (and a handful of others) were collected for me in Alabama and sent up to my lab. If you live in the Southeastern US and want to help me with my research, shoot me a PM and I can give you some information on how to find the larvae of this species, as well as supply you with shipping labels and permits (remember, it's illegal to ship larvae without permits!) as well as the shipping costs. I rely heavily upon field collected larvae from naturalists, citizen scientists, and the casual observer to complete my project. These moths are not breeding residents in my state, so the more I can get in the lab, the more likely it is I can start a breeding colony. #Sphingidae #SphingidaeUSA #Eumorpha #Eumorphafasciatus #BandedSphinx #Hawkmoths #SphinxMoths #Insects #Caterpillar #GradWork #Projects #Moth #Lepidoptera #Entomology https://www.instagram.com/p/B2ErXY2ABKI/?igshid=1xynzhhte9l7p

by Kelly Louise Judd

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

This is Darapsa myron (Hog Sphinx or Virginia Creeper Sphinx). This is the third and final Darapsa species we have in the USA. Much like Darapsa choerilus that I posted, this is the brown form of the larva. This form is really stunning and makes the contrasting dorsal pattern of this larva really stick out. Darapsa myron is arguably one of the most common species of Sphingidae you encounter in the Northeast, but definitely the most common larva you find on vitaceous plants (Grape - Vitis spp., Virginia Creeper - Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Ampelopis, and others). The larvae do really well in captivity as long as you give them ample room, a bit of humidity, and ventalation. #Sphingidae #SphingidaeUSA #Darapsa #Darapsamyron #HogSphinx #VirginiaCreeperSphinx #Hawkmoths #SphinxMoths #Insects #Caterpillar #GradWork #Projects #Moth #Lepidoptera #Entomology https://www.instagram.com/p/B1_sNNzA_wQ/?igshid=107cyzcehd5zy

Pictured here is the larva of Eumorpha fasciatus (Banded Sphinx). This is a third instar, and it's quite small! The horn is really elegant in this species and curves slightly backward. The bright red splotching along the spiracles will disspate in the next instar and make room for one of 5 really cool patterns or colors. More images of this species will be posted soon, as it's really one of my favorites (I think I've said this about almost everything I've posted... shh don't tell the caterpillars). This species is unusual in the Eumorpha as it feeds exclusively on Onagracea or the Primroses. Most commonly, this moth is encountered on Ludwigia which can be found growing in wet areas. I've encountered fully grown larvae of this species on a mostly submerged plant. The prepupal larva actually will hop off the plant and sometimes swim to shore to pupate. The adults are just stunning too. The range of this moth is quite large, but it's really only a breeding resident in the Southeastern USA and points further south. They do wander up the coast quite frequently and adults have been captured as far north as Maine! #Sphingidae #SphingidaeUSA #Eumorpha #Eumorphafasciatus #BandedSphinx #Hawkmoths #SphinxMoths #Insects #Caterpillar #GradWork #Projects #Moth #Lepidoptera #Entomology https://www.instagram.com/p/B2C1ex1Als3/?igshid=azd5xf1j9jmz

This is Darapsa choerilus (Azalea Sphinx). This species, like many Sphingidae, exhibits a dark form and a standard green form. Pictured here is the dark form of this species. This coloration is the subject of my PhD project, the aim is to try and reliably induce the desired color morph. Some species have multiple, which makes my work even more fun. Darapsa is a wonderful genus, I've posted a lot of Darapsa versicolor lately, so I figured the other two species should share a bit of the limelight. This larva was recovered in Carbon Co., PA in the Poconos. It was found feeding on Kalmia latifolia (Mountain Laurel), but is happily munching away on Viburnum in the lab. #Sphingidae #SphingidaeUSA #Darapsa #Darapsachoerilus #AzaleaSphinx #Hawkmoths #SphinxMoths #Insects #Caterpillar #GradWork #Projects #Moth #Lepidoptera #Entomology https://www.instagram.com/p/B19wz4gA_5T/?igshid=r4u50et2b3ej