Laurel Sphinx Caterpillar

Now, this is a hog of a caterpillar and a beauty at that. I found this searching a section of my yard that I don’t usually look in while I’m doing my caterpillar hunting. Yes, I am a caterpillar hunter. Hahaha! Looking for Ohio Caterpillars is a crazy obsession. I had to walk through a rather large flower bed that butts up against the woods. I have no idea why I went in that area, but for some odd reason, I walked right to this large caterpillar. The brilliant bright green color drew me in. I hadn’t ever seen one like this before and I thought that it was along the lines of a tobacco hornworm or a tomato hornworm, but after a little research, I learned that it is a Laurel Sphinx Caterpillar.

This huge caterpillar was wreaking havoc on the bush that it was eating. I was able to keep track of it for a few days but lost track after we had a very bad storm. Due to his size and the fact that his horn had turned blue, I figure it formed its chrysalis and prepared itself for winter. At least that is what I’m telling myself. I would hate to think that a bird had it for dinner.

Laurel Sphinx Caterpillars grow rapidly and molt their skin. They have 5 instars. They are a bright green color and have an almost translucent look to them. There are diagonal stripes on their sides that are black, white and yellow. There are orange spiracle dots under each stripe. The head also has a black and white stripe on each side. Its true legs are black and white and their prolegs are black and green. Its anal prolegs and anal plate have black bumps. The horn of the caterpillar is not poisonous and changes color as it ages. The last instar has a blue horn with black bumps. The moth of this species is quite large and has a wingspan that can reach anywhere from almost 3” to over 4”. The hindwings are tan in color with a black border. The forewings are more of a yellowish brown color with a white border.

The name "Sphinx" is believed to have come from the defensive position that this type of caterpillar takes when it is startled. It will rise up the front part of its body and in a weird way resemble the Egyptian Sphinx. The tobacco hornworm and the tobacco hornworm take this defensive posture.