Observation date: April 26, 2013
Submitted by: Poop
Specimen type: Photograph
Observation notes: The moth as I found it was dying; when I found it, it was on its back, and its proboscis/tongue was on the side of its face and pulsating somewhat. After my outdoor cat accidentally stepped on it and flipped it over. The tongue ceased moving, and when I moved it would shuffle forward in a 'broken' way, much like an injured cockroach; like it couldn't properly move its legs. It apparently couldn't fly at all, as its wings never even twitched. When it flipped on its back on accident again, it would wiggle its legs helplessly. Overall, the behaviour of this dying moth can be most accurately compared to that of a dying junebug; helpless and crippled. This moth is unusual for me, as I have never seen a moth this large, or of this colour; usually I only see brown, hyperactive moths barely half an inch long the flutter around lights.
Status: Resident
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: April 26, 2013
Coordinator notes: Note to submitter: This is a very worn, at the end of its life, Five-spotted hawkmoth. The caterpillar is the familiar tomato hornworm (also feeds on peppers and some other plants) and is actually quite common in your area. The moth feeds at dusk and night on deep-throated flowers like moonflower, datura, petunia, cannas, and some others. The long tongue, which may have bene coiled up when you found it, is designed to pollinate such flowers.
