Page 446 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

MOTH CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Sphingidae
DISTRIBUTION Nepal, northeastern India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, southern
China, Thailand, Vietnam, and Peninsular Malaysia
HABITAT Forests, parks, and gardens
HOST PLANTS Various, including Night-scented Lily (Alocasia odora),
elephant ear (Colocasia spp.), angel wings (Caladium spp.),
zaminkand (Amorphophallus spp.), Silver Vine (Scindapsus pictus),
and Arrowhead Plant (Syngonium podophyllum)
NOTE Caterpillar that pretends to be a snake when disturbed
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated, but generally common

ADULT WINGSPAN
2 ⁄ –2 ⁄ in (53–62 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
3⅜–3¾ in (85–95 mm) EUPANACRA MYDON
COMMON RIPPLED
HAWKMOTH
444
(WALKER, 1856)

The yellowish-green eggs of the Common Rippled Hawkmoth
are laid singly on the leaves of host plants. Prior to hatching, the
eggs turn orange, as the rst instar, which is orange colored and

with a long, posterior horn, becomes visible through the shell.
The caterpillars consume a great deal of foliage, so development
is rapid, taking little more than a month before pupation, with the
pupae formed on or just under the ground. There are multiple
generations annually, and adult moths feed nocturnally on a

The Common Rippled Hawkmoth caterpillar wide variety of owers.
is light green with a brown, wavy stripe laterally
that extends along the abdomen. The posterior
segment is truncated and marked in brown, When disturbed, mature caterpillars are able to retract their head
extending to a short, curved, brown spine.

Segments three and four are brighter green and segments one to four into segment ve, which expands that
and display white dots with brown-and-black segment, bulging its eyelike markings in a remarkable attempt
markings laterally, forming an “eye” on each
side of the caterpillar. The head is light green, to intimidate potential predators. With its anterior section
and all legs are brown.
“expanded,” the caterpillar looks like a snake, the “eyes”
appearing to watch from all angles. The eyespots are not visible
unless the caterpillar is disturbed.

Actual size