Observation date: September 13, 2024
Date notes: This morning, my husband noticed that one of our Tecoma stans was nearly completely denuded and immediately saw the reason. This beautiful green caterpillar was facing head down on a bare stem. When I put the photos in iNaturalist, the ID was Rustic Sphinx.
Submitted by: Diane Drobka
Specimen type: Photograph
Observation notes: It's a wonderful sunny-yet-mild September morning and my husband Craig just discovered something in our front yard pollinator garden: a huge bright green caterpillar on a potted Tecoma stans. It was facing head down on a vertical stem sans leaves and was not moving or munching. I will keep monitoring it. I hope that none of the 40ish Western Kingbirds in our yard find and eat it.
There are not many leaves left on the Tecoma so I'm wondering what I could provide this hungry caterpillar to keep it going. This is the first year that our huge Queen of the Night cactus has produced fruit pods after flowering so I'm wondering if we have this moth to thank! Definitely want the caterpillar to produce a moth.
We've had plenty of White-lined Sphinxes in prior years and they seem to favor our Australian emu bush flowers. This is the first Rustic Sphinx we've seen.
Status: Resident
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: July 03, 2025
Coordinator notes: None.
