Page 454 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

MOTH CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Sphingidae
DISTRIBUTION From northwest Africa, southern Europe, and Asia Minor to
northern Pakistan and western Mongolia
HABITAT Very sunny, dry, stony, mountainous hillsides with scattered
clumps of Euphorbia and little other vegetation; usually at high
altitude in Asia
HOST PLANTS Herbaceous species of Euphorbia, particularly E. nicaeensis
NOTE Huge, gaudy caterpillar of an elusive, local, and scarce species
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated, but widespread

ADULT WINGSPAN
3⅛–4¼ in (80–110 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
4–4⅝ in (100–120 mm) HYLES NICAEA
GREATER SPURGE
HAWKMOTH
452
(DE PRUNNER, 1798)

The Greater Spurge Hawkmoth caterpillar initially rests
along the midrib on the underside of a leaf, but growth is
rapid, and the large, mature larvae usually rest on the stem,
often fully exposed. Frenzied bouts of eating are interspersed
with long spells of basking. The caterpillars’ bright warning
coloration helps deter vertebrate predators, but many succumb
to parasites. At high altitudes, above 6,600 ft (2000 m), larvae

The Greater Spurge Hawkmoth caterpillar is may be jet black to protect them from excessive ultraviolet
initially a rich canary-yellow color, with a blackish radiation while also helping them absorb more of the sun’s heat
horn, but soon becomes apple green with
longitudinal rows of black dots. Most full-grown as nights and mornings can be extremely cold.
individuals are pale gray with dorsolateral and
ventrolateral rows of black-ringed, yellow or
red eyespots; the horn is always black. However, This hawkmoth caterpillar is one of Europe’s largest, rivaling
many larvae become totally black with small,
red eyespots and, sometimes, bu lateral that of the Death’s Head Hawkmoth (Acherontia atropos). The
patches. The amount of black pigmentation
and size of eyespots are very variable. adults are equally huge and prone to wander, often turning

up far from known colonies. The speci c name, nicaea, may
be derived from the main host plant, Euphorbia nicaeensis, or
possibly from the locality where it was rst identi ed—Nice,

in southern France. Hyles is a widespread genus containing
up to 30 similar-looking species and 40 subspecies, most of
which occur in Europe, northern Africa, and much of Asia,
excluding the south.

Actual size