March 12, 2026
Nature Done Wright
Incorporating the Celery Farm and Screech Owl Companion blogs
Caterpillar I.D. Needed
Saw this guy on the way into downtown Allendale today. Didn't see anything like when I scanned a few caterpillar sites.
I don't know why I think it might be a hornworm caterpillar, but… iNaturalist wasn't helpful, but I am still learning how to use it…
Can you I.D. it? (Thanks!)
4 comments
-
i defer to Denise on leps! 😀
-
Another possible: Azalea Sphinx. Seems Azalea and Virgina Creeper Sphinx cats are somewhat similar.
From Bugguide re Azalea Sphinx “Larva: head and front of thorax slender (body swells greatly at third thoracic segment, as in larvae of Virginia Creeper Sphinx); body green with numerous pale green dots; color changes to light reddish-brown shortly before pupating.”
Azalea Sphinx cat: https://bugguide.net/node/view/1554626 -
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/54207305
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/53788088
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/19592368
a few comparable observations on inaturalist. -
it looks like it could be a sphinx moth species.
maybe – virginia creeper sphinx moth?
(Darapsa myron – Virginia Creeper Sphinx – Hodges#7885)
https://www.sphingidae.us/darapsa-myron.html





4 comments
julie
i defer to Denise on leps! 😀
Denise
Another possible: Azalea Sphinx. Seems Azalea and Virgina Creeper Sphinx cats are somewhat similar.
From Bugguide re Azalea Sphinx “Larva: head and front of thorax slender (body swells greatly at third thoracic segment, as in larvae of Virginia Creeper Sphinx); body green with numerous pale green dots; color changes to light reddish-brown shortly before pupating.”
Azalea Sphinx cat: https://bugguide.net/node/view/1554626
julie
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/54207305
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/53788088
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/19592368
a few comparable observations on inaturalist.
julie
it looks like it could be a sphinx moth species.
maybe – virginia creeper sphinx moth?
(Darapsa myron – Virginia Creeper Sphinx – Hodges#7885)
https://www.sphingidae.us/darapsa-myron.html