This morning I was doing my routine chores patrolling the garden when I came across this big fat ugly brown worm. Here it is I was eyeballing the tomatoes looking for the notorious big green Tomato Horn Worms when I came across this fella instead. Between two of our tomato plants was a vine called Virginia Creeper that it was munching away on. I was stumped because I have never seen a worm or caterpillar like this one. It kinda looks like a Tomato Horn worm doesn't it? It is in fact a Pandora Sphinx Caterpillar in the same family as the Tomato Horn Worm.
I'm almost ashamed to say that yes I did indeed use Google to find out what kind of worm this is. You can read all about them here...
http://naturalcrooks.com/rambles/huge-smooth-caterpillar-rusty-brown-5-big-white-eye-spots-green-small-black-white-spots-spiracles/
How cool is this? This is what I love about farming, gardening, and living out in the wild. I had no clue what a Pandora Sphinx Caterpillar was till I found it right here in my garden this morning. You never know what kind of cool critters you will find next! Learn something new everyday. YAY!!! One up for nature.
Upon discovering this new worm I learned that this worm in fact feeds on Virginia Creeper vines, grape leaves, and other related plants. Which is why it wasn't eating the tomatoes (yet I find it right next to one of the tomato plants rolls eyes). Unlike it's Tomato Horn Worm cousin, these worms in fact shed their horn as they get older and bigger.
I was curious to see what these worms look like after they grow up and metamorphosize. I checked another link finding pictures of the Pandora Sphinx Moth. WOW! What a beauty ain't she!?
https://www.ohiohistory.org/learn/collections/natural-history/natural-history-blog/2011/october-2011/halloween-sphinx-moth-part-i
WOW! Is it just me or does this moth look like a big green spaceship? I swear this moth is something you would see in a science fiction movie. Attack of the giant Pandora Sphinx Mothra! Dunt Dunt Duuuunt! (Suspenseful sound effects)
With a name like Pandora Sphinx I wonder why the Airforce doesn't have green gliders yet that look like this? Seriously, this is one of the coolest insects I have discovered yet! Next one I find I'm going to have to keep it in a cage so I can watch it grow into this beautiful green moth.
As always I'm Theo aka Rainbow Man and here is the PROOF!
Proof of Pandora Sphinx Caterpillar
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