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MYSTERY CATERPILLAR OF THE AMAZON!

family Sphingidae, Manu Biological Station, Peru

Apparently, for years, the identity of this caterpillar has been a mystery. We may be very close to solving the mystery!

People have seen this large gorgeous caterpillar for ages, but have never been able to figure out what it grows/metamorphoses into... what species is it?

Entomologist Gwen Erdosh (Gwentomologist), currently the Volunteer Coordinator at the Manu Biological Station in Madre de Dios, Peru, has collected one, determined its host plant, and got it to pupate!

Luckily, I got to meet the larva before it pupated, and snap a few photos.

Hopefully, we will know soon, and the mystery will be solved!

- Paxon

THE MYSTERY HAS BEEN SOLVED!!!

The mystery caterpillar of the Amazon has been identified!

Gwen Erdosh has successfully raised the caterpillar, and it has fully metamorphosed.

We knew that it was a Sphinx Moth, family Sphingidae, but no on seemed to know what species it was.

This gorgeous caterpillar is the larva of Manduca neglecta!

photographs by Gwen Erdosh (Gwentomologist)

Have a look at some of the ID process on Inaturalist.

Watch Gwen's videos/posts about this on Instagram (1), (2) Instagram, and (2) Instagram.

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