Page 467 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

MOTH CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Sphingidae
DISTRIBUTION Russian Far East, eastern and central China, Chinese Taipei,
Korean peninsula, and Japan
HABITAT Forest edges, open parklands, and woodlands
HOST PLANTS Chinese Hickory (Carya cathayensis) and Manchurian Walnut
(Juglans mandshurica)
NOTE Noisy hawkmoth caterpillar that will hiss and squeak if disturbed
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated

ADULT WINGSPAN
3 ⁄ –5 in (93–130 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
2 ⁄ –3⅜ in (65–85 mm)
PHYLLOSPHINGIA DISSIMILIS
BUFF LEAF HAWKMOTH 465

BREMER, 1861

Bu Leaf Hawkmoth caterpillars hatch from eggs laid singly or

in small groups by the female hawkmoth; the eggs are pale olive
green when freshly laid. Developing through ve instars in as

little as three weeks, these caterpillars are generally sedentary,
feeding on lower branches of the host plant usually 6½–13 ft
(2–4 m) above the ground. When disturbed, the larvae thrash
out laterally, making a squeaking or hissing sound to dissuade
predators. When full grown, the caterpillars darken in color and
move to the ground, where they build a silk-free cell among
debris, within which they pupate. Unusually, the pupae also
hiss or squeak.

The caterpillars are most often found in July and August, with
one generation annually in northern areas of its range and
possibly two generations in the south. There are currently just
two species within the genus Phyllosphingia, although others

may be identi ed using molecular techniques.

Actual size

The Bu Leaf Hawkmoth caterpillar is bright
green dorsally but blue green ventrally. There
are seven oblique, lateral, bumpy stripes, and
the green posterior spine is curved downward.
The prolegs are green, but the true legs are
reddish. The head is green with lateral, white
stripes. Some forms of this caterpillar are
reddish brown.