Page 440 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

MOTH CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Sphingidae
DISTRIBUTION Africa, Madagascar, entire Mediterranean region, Middle East,
Afghanistan, India, southern China, Southeast Asia to the Malay
Peninsula, the Philippines, and Hawaii; also central Europe,
central Asia, and Japan as a migrant
HABITAT Dry riverbeds, oases, and scrubby hillsides
HOST PLANTS Wide range, including Oleander (Nerium oleander), grape
(Vitis spp.), and periwinkle (Vinca spp.)
NOTE Striking caterpillar with eyespots and a horn to deter predators
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated, but not threatened

ADULT WINGSPAN
3½–4¼ in (90–110 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
3–3⅜ in (75–85 mm)
DAPHNIS NERII
OLEANDER HAWKMOTH
438
(LINNAEUS, 1758)

Oleander Hawkmoth caterpillars emerge from light green,
round eggs, laid singly on young leaves up to 12 days earlier.
Initially, the caterpillar is bright yellow green with a long, thin,
black horn. It gradually changes to the apple green of the older
caterpillar, and then becomes browner in color as it prepares to
pupate on the ground among leaf litter. The pupa is light brown
with tiny, dark brown spots, in a loosely spun, yellow cocoon.

The species gets its common name from the caterpillar’s main
food plant, the Oleander. Leaves of the Oleander contain toxins,
The Oleander Hawkmoth caterpillar is apple which are taken up by the larvae to give them protection against
green in color, with distinctive, blue-and-white predators. The species is one of the most widely distributed
eyespots, ringed in black. The spiracles are black,
and the legs are pink. There is a lateral, white hawkmoths. However, although the moths migrate to northern
stripe with scattered, white spots. The short,
orange horn is warty with a black tip. Europe in summer, they cannot survive the cold winters. The
adults are active from late spring to early fall, producing four
or ve generations in a year.

Actual size