Common Caterpillars of SE Arizona

Manduca rustica

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since 27 November 2002

In response to many inquires to the Butterflies of SE Arizona and the Moths of SE Arizona websites, here are a few of the most common caterpillars found in Urban areas of SE Arizona.

Questions, comments, feedback: jbwalsh@u.arizona.edu.

Smooth larvae with an anal horn are generally hawkmoths. Four species are commonly found in urban areas.

The Rustic sphinx (Manduca rustica )

Adult

The purple stripes on the side are characteristic.

Feeds of a vareity of trees and shurbs.

Larvae in the genus Manduca have a rough horn

Great ash sphinx (Sphinx chersis )

• Adult
• Feeds mainly on Ash
• Note that the horn is smooth.

The tomato and tobacco hornworns -- Carolina sphinx (Manduca sexta) and Five-spotted hawkmoth (Manduca quinquemaculata)

The caterpillars for these two species can be hard to tell apart, but the larvae cam be quite common on a wide variety of shurbs

White-lined sphinx (Hyles lineata )

Adult

The larvae shows great variation in color

The larvae will eat just about anything not moving. They are often so common in the low deserts as to force road closures --- the roads get to slick from all those larvae (this really happens every couple of years!)

Hubbard's small silkmoth (Sphingicampa hubbardi)

• Adult
• The silver color on the plates is highly characteristic.
• A very striking, although not uncommon, caterpillar
• Feeds on Mesquite, foothills paloverde (Cercidium micrphyllum

Juno buckmoth (Hemileuca juno)

• Adult
• A common spring caterpillar on Mesquite
• The adults fly during the day (late fall)

• Adult
• larvae are common on citrus.

• Adult
• larvae a pest on passion Vine.