Page 438 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

MOTH CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Sphingidae
DISTRIBUTION Africa south of the Sahara, India, China, Japan, Southeast Asia,
and Australia
HABITAT Urban parks and gardens, and lightly wooded areas

HOST PLANTS Gardenia (Gardenia augusta), Co ee (Co ee arabica),
Wild Pomegranate (Burchellia bubaline), and Rhino Co ee

(Kraussia oribunda)

NOTE Well-camou aged, voracious, green caterpillar often found
in gardens
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated, but generally common
ADULT WINGSPAN
1¾–2⅞ in (45–73 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
2⅛–2 ⁄ in (55–65 mm)
CEPHONODES HYLAS
COFFEE BEE HAWKMOTH
436
(LINNAEUS, 1771)

Co ee Bee Hawkmoth caterpillars hatch from eggs laid singly

on the underside of terminal host plant leaves, with the dark-

colored rst and second instars sporting a long, posterior horn.
They feed alone and are sluggish but consume a great amount
of leaf material. Older larvae, when disturbed, will throw
their head back and eject green uid from their mouth to repel

potential predators. Final instar caterpillars wander and become
brownish in color, making them less conspicuous as they travel

The Co ee Bee Hawkmoth caterpillar is over the ground.
variably colored but frequently green with a
prominent lateral, white stripe. The posterior
horn is slightly curved, whitish, and speckled Pupation occurs on, or rarely just below, the surface in a
with black dots. The head and true legs are
green, the prolegs brown or tan. Clusters of slight cocoon formed of leaves and debris held together with
white dots appear on the dorsal surface of a few strands of silk. Parasitic wasps and ies have emerged
the rst segment, behind the head, and on
the posterior segment. A dark form of the from reared larvae, suggesting these natural enemies may be
caterpillar also occurs.
important in population regulation of the species. As its name
suggests, the Coffee Bee Hawkmoth mimics bees, flying by
day with a distinctive buzzing sound and darting rapidly from
ower to ower.

Actual size