Page 466 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

MOTH CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Sphingidae
DISTRIBUTION India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, eastern and southern China,
Chinese Taipei, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines
HABITAT Various, from open woodlands to metropolitan areas, roadsides,
and gardens
HOST PLANTS Grapevine (Vitis spp.), Cissus spp., Leea spp., Begonia spp.,
Di enbachia spp., and elephant ear (Caldium spp., Colocasia spp.)

NOTE Hawkmoth caterpillar that has in atable eyespots to frighten
o predators

CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated

ADULT WINGSPAN
2½–3⅛ in (64–80 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
2¾–3 in (70–75 mm)
PERGESA ACTEUS
GREEN PERGESA HAWKMOTH
464
(CRAMER, 1779)

Green Pergesa Hawkmoth caterpillars hatch from eggs that
are green, shiny, broadly oval, and laid singly on the host
plants by the female hawkmoth. The larvae come in two color
forms—green or brown—from the fourth instar, but their
markings remain the same. Occasionally, a red form is seen. The
caterpillars develop rapidly through the instars, taking about a
month before they darken in color and wander to the ground to
seek a subterranean pupation site. Pupation occurs in an earthen
cell and the pupa is pale brown.

Adults y at night but are particularly active around daybreak

and during rainy weather and have been observed drinking
from puddles. The caterpillar uses false eyespots as a defensive
strategy, increasing their size when threatened. Although
well camouflaged and able to ward off potential vertebrate
enemies with these false eyes, many Green Pergesa Hawkmoth
caterpillars fall victim to parasitic ichneumonid wasps.

Actual size

The Green Pergesa Hawkmoth caterpillar
is pale jade green. On the anterior half of the
rst abdominal segment there is a pair of
false eyespots consisting of a white ellipse
with a black base. There is also a row of smaller,
green ellipses on the remaining abdominal
segments. The posterior horn is much reduced
in the nal instar, and the true legs are orange.