Horned Sphinx

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azzle
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Sep 04, 2010 2:14 pm

Horned Sphinx

Post by azzle »

Hey guys, im new to the community and was just wondering if i could have some help.

A friend of my younger sister's found a huge, almost luminescent green caterpiller on a birch twig thismorning. It has a cm long spike on its rear and light purple banding around it. Its around 3inches long.

so, i did some reasearch and it turns out to be a four horned shpinx moth, or Ceratomia amyntor. after a little more digging, i found out that it is native to america in the pensylvania region. Once hatched, it'll have a wingspan just shy of 11cm! Its rather an uncommon breed in the US apparently.

The strange thing about it being it was found in Canvey Island, in Essex... nearly 2000miles from its home turf, so, what is it doing here?!

I was wondering was if anyone could give me some information of who i can contact if this thing is rare... and of course, if im wrong about what it is...

Ta Guys!!!

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Pete Eeles
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Re: Horned Sphinx

Post by Pete Eeles »

Hi Azzle,

Looks like a Privet Hawk-moth larva to me:

http://www.ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=1772

Cheers,

- Pete
Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies: http://www.butterflylifecycles.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
azzle
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Sep 04, 2010 2:14 pm

Re: Horned Sphinx

Post by azzle »

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand thank you very muchly!
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