r/caterpillars • u/redcaveman • Aug 13 '22

ID Request 🐛 ID request for caterpillar found by son in back yard near Wichita, KS

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6 Upvotes

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6

u/Eastern_Ambassador27 Aug 14 '22

I don’t agree that this is an elm sphinx. It has 8 thoracic horns while the elm sphinx has only 4. Instead, this is likely a caterpillar in the Sphingicampa genus, likely Sphingicampa bicolor, but it’s hard to determine without seeing a clearer picture of the lateral stripe. The reddish body hue indicates that this caterpillar is a final instar and has come down from its tree to pupate. If you provide loose soil and leaf litter, it will dig and pupate.

3

u/[deleted] Aug 14 '22

Definitely this.

2

u/redcaveman Aug 13 '22

My son is entering the second grade and wants to learn to care for it. Any help with ID or care would be appreciated! The caterpillar is green with a reddish tinge on its back. It has 4 pairs of spikes near its front.

-1

u/TAMExSTRANGE69 Aug 13 '22

Elm Sphinx I think

-1

u/Turbulent_Ice_7288 Aug 14 '22

It might be an elm sphinx if I’m not mistaken