The Tetrio Sphinx

Nom nom nom!

We were recently contacted by some friends in South Florida named Whitney and Danny who had been inundated with an army of caterpillars. These massive, convict-striped larva had denuded their Plumeria trees, mowing through leaves and flowers alike.

We were asked two equally important questions about these hungry caterpillars: "What are they?" and "Do you want them?"

I identified the fascinating bugs as Frangapani Hornworms, the larva of the Tetrio Sphinx moth and agreed to take them because they are fascinating. These caterpillars are big, and I mean really big. Wide as a man's thumb and about as long as my whole hand, these massive caterpillars have equally massive appetites and seem to be able to strip a lush Plumeria in just a day or two, leaving it just a grey and naked stick.

Plumeria blooms, before consumption by caterpillar

Through the help of another friend of MOSI Outside, Susan G., the hoard of caterpillars were driven from South Florida and delivered to my house.

The next morning I brought them into MOSI's BioWorks Butterfly Garden and offered them some fresh Plumeria. They ate mere nibbles because it seemed they had already sated themselves upon Danny and Whitney's trees. These larva were ready to become something different...

The next day I happened to walk into the lab just as one caterpillar was struggling out of its skin. The new pupa was a brilliant yellow marked with brown spots. I saw that the other larva were preparing to pupate as well and one individual had already finished with the skin of its pupa drying to a deep earthy brown. I took a photo of a caterpillar preparing to pupate, just about to shed and dark in color, a new pupa, a shed skin and a caterpillar just beginning to consider pupation.

This is the part where Lepidopterists have to go amuse themselves because metamorphosis is a lot of work and takes a bit of time. A few days ago, out first Tetrio Sphinx emerged and allowed me a photo shoot before it tired of my company. The moth is a mottled grey, perfect for camouflage against the bark of a tree or even a concrete wall.

We don't often encounter this insect in Tampa as they tend to stay far south where Plumeria grow into huge trees rather than chest high sticks that keel over every time Tampa has a frost. We had only had one previous opportunity to see this caterpillar as it was brought in by a MOSI Outside guest years ago.

'allo!

This was quite a treat, well, at least for entomologists. I imagine homeowners and South Florida gardeners might be a touch less enthusiastic.

Thanks to Whitney for caterpillars, think of MOSI Outside and caterpillar photos!