This colorful caterpillar is less than 2 inches long. They are most often green, but they can also be brown. They have small white spots over all of their bodies, and a bright yellow collar behind their head, as well as at the base of their black horn at the end of their abdomens (A,B,C). The adult moth – see for details under sphinx moths – hovers like a hummingbird and is often misidentified as such (D).
The moth is common in our area. The larvae feed on dogbane, honeysuckle and snowberry. This caterpillar specimen was seen in the late spring of 2012.
The larval foodplants are many trees and shrubs including both broadleaf and coniferous. In this area they would include cherry, elderberry, gooseberry, green briar, hophornbeam, maple, oak and viburnum.
Disclaimer: The content of NatureSearch is provided by dedicated volunteer Naturalists of Fontenelle Forest who strive to provide the most accurate information available. Contributors of the images retain their copyrights. The point of contact for this page is: Roland Barth.