#eumorpha pandorus

[heartnosekid]

big pandora sphinx moth (eumorpha pandorus) | source

[coolbugs]

Bug of the Day

I was coming back in after a disappointing night at the lights last week, and came across this glorious chonkbeast on some Virginia creeper growing under my porch. This is a Pandora sphinx moth caterpillar (Eumorpha pandorus). Look at its squishy little donut feeties!!

[hemelytra]

a beautiful pandorus sphinx moth at publix

[blattodean]

fella I found as I was leaving an appointment

[quiveringdeer]

chillin with this lil gal right now 😎

[moths-daily]

Moth Of The Day #124

Pandora Sphinx Moth / Pandorus Sphinx Moth

Eumorpha pandorus

From the sphingidae family. They have a wingspan of 8.3-11.7 cm. They can be found throughout most of North America.

[crevicedwelling]

a wonderful Pandora Sphinx larva from last year. olive jellyman with a watchful rear

(Eumorpha pandorus)

[onenicebugperday]

This is a super specific question, but I LOVE eumorpha pandorus/pandorus sphinx moth. I live in their native range and would love so so so much to find one that had passed to preserve and mount. Have you ever gone hunting for specific bugs who have passed to collect them? Any tips you might have on this?

I can’t imagine moths would hold up well for long past death unpreserved but figured I’d ask.

Alternatively, do you have any vendors you’d recommend that ethically source their specimens that I could check out that may get these guys sometimes?

Thanks so much!

I think it would be VERY difficult to intentionally find a dead specimen of a specific sphinx moth in the wild that isn’t very battered/degraded. I think you’d be much more likely to find a caterpillar by checking out their host plants and then raising it through adulthood and preserving it after it passes. I know that includes grape plants and Virginia creeper. You’d have to google if there are others they might feed on.

If there are vineyards in your area they might be more than happy to give you caterpillars who eat their crops. I have a friend who manages a vineyard and he often sends me photos of cool bugs that he (unfortunately) has to remove from the plants. RIP, little friends.

But also, near their host plant may be a decent place to look for dead adults, too, as they would be laying eggs near the host plant.

As for ethically sourced bugs, I don’t have any sources that I use that I can rec, I’m afraid. You could try looking on etsy and ebay and asking the seller specifically where their specimens come from.

If anyone has any ethical sources for bug specimens they’d like to rec, feel free!

[blubushie]

Hi, Blu! Just thought I'd share this neat little friend I saw on my porch. I'm no bug expert so I could tell you what sort of friend this is, but hey, I figured you'd want to see it anyways. Look how cool its wings are!

It's a pandora sphinx moth, Eumorpha pandorus! You should see their caterpillars! :]

Thank you for showing me! It's a beaut!

[humanbyweight]

Pandora Sphinx (Eumorpha pandorus)

One of my all-time favorite moths.

[animalids]

Pandorus sphinx moth (Eumorpha pandorus)

Photo by Sheryl Johnson

[mudpuddling-moved]

pandora sphinx in wilson tract, canada

[coolbugs]

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Bug of the Day

My caterpillar loves me!!!!!!! lol

[imagoodstudent]

Always getting visitors in my plants.

[wolfatheartprotectthem]

Pandora sphinx moth (Eumorpha pandorus)

[mothmyspace]

eumorpha pandorus

pandora sphinx moth

location: north america