hornworm pictorial

[applestar]

...I accidentally cracked the loop that is often thought of as the "tail" and to my surprise, it looks like the moth's proboscis is in there ...but I thought these moths don't feed?

[applestar]

While looking for something else, I came across an OLD hornworm thread -- it's not even showing up in the "related topic" list at the bottom of the page

Subject: Horn worms

[applestar]

EXCITEMENT

One of our kitties noticed that the hornworm has eclosed DD's and I peeked in the cup to see....

It was scrambling around in the bottom of the cup with shriveled wings with, really, gorgeous dorsal coloration of the abdomen showing. I was able to get some good shots.

Then I relented and taped a strip of paper towel on the cup wall, without which it was unable to climb the smooth slippery surface. Once it reached the paper towel taped "lid", I transferred the paper towel to the butterfly enclosure ceiling so it can hang with plenty of clearance to pump up its wings, which it began to do almost immediately.

It seems to have broken off one of its antennae (or maybe that was
what was in the "tail" and was damaged when I cracked it). It's oozing
clear green fluid from where the antenna should be

[applestar]

This morning, with wings fully extended:

This is as "fresh" and "beautiful" as it will ever be....
Notice you can't see the dorsal abdominal coloration
when the wings are held flat over it the way moths tend
to do. It will look different in flight.

[Lindsaylew82]

It's cool! I still got no love for these.

[Juliuskitty]

It's cool! I still got no love for these.

+ 1

[dsyukon]

Here's my nightmare !

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