SUBTLE INSECT BLOG.

Just your average subtle insect grunge blog. Entomology is a hobby of mine and I'm in love with hymenoptera and lepidoptera.

[voiceofnature]

Amazing Saturniidae Moth’s Caterpillar

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[typhlonectes]

Pluto Sphinx (Xylophanes pluto)

Found throughout the tropics and subtropics of the Americas. In the United States, it is found in Southern Texas and South Florida. They have a wingspan of about 5.3–6.5 cm. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of a variety of plants, including Coca plants, Hamelia, and Yawweed.

photographs: pondhawk and Cheryl Harleston

[giantleopardmoth]

There are multiple variants colour-wise, but some of the caterpillars are also that nice yellowish lime green colour of the moth in the top picture.

(Source)

(Source)

They’re also really fat, which is the best thing for a caterpillar to be.

“BLARGH!”

(Source)

[giantleopardmoth]

underthehedge – be prepared to be made even more jealous… I made a little trek this morning on a hunch and found not only the many empty pupal shells of lunar hornet moths sticking out of the bark of a willow tree, but a freshly eclosed female among them!

I’m going to keep checking back and attempt to find a nice male to breed her to. I really want some of their caterpillars.

Lunar hornet moth (Sesia bembeciformis).

[jallenwoodworks-deactivated2025]

[typhlonectes]

Prolegs

A proleg is a small, fleshy, stub structure found on the ventral surface of the abdomen of most larval forms of insects of the order Lepidoptera, though they can also be found on other larval insects such as sawflies and a few types of flies.

In all the orders in which they appear, mainly Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera, prolegs of any form evolved independently of each other by convergent evolution. Prolegs of lepidopteran larvae have a small circle of gripping hooks, called “crochets”. The arrangement of the crochets can be helpful in identification to family level. Although the point has been debated, prolegs are not widely regarded as true legs, derived from the primitive uniramous limbs. Certainly in their morphology they are not jointed, and so lack the five segments (coxa, trochanter, femur, tibia, tarsus) of thoracic insect legs. Prolegs do have limited musculature, but much of their movement is hydraulically powered. (via: Wikipedia) Photographs: T - Larvae of the sawfly (Craesus septentrionalis), in the Hymenoptera by Przykuta; B - Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) caterpillar by Didier Descouens

[britsnana2]

7/20/15

Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths) No Taxon  (Moths) Superfamily Noctuoidea Family Erebidae Subfamily Arctiinae (Tiger and Lichen Moths) Tribe Arctiini (Tiger Moths) Subtribe Arctiina Genus Grammia Species phyllira (Phyllira Tiger Moth - Hodges#8194)

Size Wingspan 34-40 mm Identification Adult: similar to G. parthenice, G. phyllira has a less robust body, deeper pink shade of the hindwing, and the antemedial forewing band is vertical (perpendicular to the inner margin), not perpendicular to the costa as in parthenice. (U. of Alberta) Range Eastern North America Habitat Fields, etc. with host plants Season May-September Food Larvae feed on corn, lupine, tobacco, and other herbs. Adults probably do not feed.

[subtleinsectblog]

Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) life stages

Discover more at: https://www.behance.net/Ansel 

[wapiti3]

Panorpa amurensis on Flickr.

photo source-The MacroClub Project

[idafloreak]

Wasp study Oil on wood 6”x6” Ida Floreak

[nycbugman]

Lopidea sp.

[nycbugman]

Sphacophilus cellularis

[nycbugman]

Torymus sp. (female)

[nycbugman]

Spilosoma virginica -Virginia Tiger Moth

[deactivated-blog]

Thermophilum deceguttatus ssp … but don’t know what ssp. it is .. found it already dead .. so not great preserved insect, but still one extra to have ( specially if you don’t have a specimen at all ) - South Africa - Paternoster - West coast.

[nycbugman]

Bombus bimaculatus- Two-Spotted Bumble Bee

[pirumparummoved]

[subtleinsectblog]

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