During this season, esp., I have to be watchful for this caterpillar's excreta under the Oleander plant. It is not easy to locate it on the plant. The excreta is an indication of its presence up there, munching off young leaves and blooms. Another index is that of less profusion of blooming - this eats up all the blooms quickly! I guess this is a stage of some butterfly. Which could be that one? I have removed it out of the shrub for taking pictures.
Hi Dinu, that's an Oleander Hawk Moth cat:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawk_moth
He's a beaut!
This appears to be a larva of an oleander hawk moth (Daphnis nerii; Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daphnis_nerii
Thanks both. But I have not seen even once that hawk moth in many years though this caterpillar appears every year.
According to the Wikipedia article, these moths often fly at night and sometimes only eat the nectar from one specific kind of plant... Maybe you have don't have that kind of plant, so they fly somewhere else? Obviously you have whatever plant their larvae like, since they obviously like laying their eggs in your garden. :-)
Okay Marylyn, why cannot we notice a young slim caterpillar? Why does it make an appearance as if 'all of a sudden'? Where were they till they attained that size - from whatever size the larva is.
I have no idea, Dinu. ^_^ I hope someone else does!
I have always wondered about that.... yes, hope someone else can throw some light on the 'how'. Interesting caterpillar that. I remember once many years back, a monkey that was passing by [a nuisance in the neighbourhood then] spotted it pulled it out from the leaf and ate it clean!
What about this one? Other than green?
As is the case with several other species in this family, the larva of Daphnis nerii may change in color as time for pupation nears - see http://tpittaway.tripod.com/china/d_ner.htm
Thanks. Very nice info in that link. Got some of my answers there too!
Well, as it so happened after looking at that link, I found the other stage of this, even darker one wriggling on the ground with some slimy excretion. I guess it is closer to becoming a pupa.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/751194/ I had this same query last year. Forgotten about it.
fly_girl suggested in that thread about raising this Moth and watching its progress. I'll try to do that with this one. I missed the last one in my picture as it has gone off somewhere.
This message was edited Oct 24, 2008 9:02 PM
Dinu, that would be fantastic if you protected him until he makes the transformation..... can't wait to see the pictures of him!
I think I should tell my younger DD - she may like to do that. There is a golden pupa with me now and she wants to see that develop. Will post that in a new thread.
http://www.whatsthiscaterpillar.co.uk/america/ Found these interesting links.
http://www.butterflypals.com/BIG/Gallery/caterpillar.htm
In the shed, I noticed some winged insect near the light window tile. I disturbed it with a stick.... it would not move. Repeated it, but only moved and settled itself. A more forceful push made it to fly off and sit closeby in the darker area now. That was the time to use flash and take a picture. Before I could try a second shot, it flew off with cobwebs entangled in its legs.
And later when I was digging up my plants, I found a few of these underneath the billbergia pyramidalis plants. Could this be of this?
