They don’t show up often, but when they do it’s always impressive. The white-lined sphinx moth is the common hawkmoth species around here, but it’s thoroughly dwarfed by the much larger five-spotted hawkmoth we see here, which are generally a rarity here on the Great Plains. These guys are a good 3 inches plus long at rest, with a spectacular marbled wood camouflage pattern that hides the bright goldenrod orange spots on their abdomen (just a glimpse of those in the last pics). They’re essential pollinators of several large-flowered plants native to the US, however they are also a source of conflict as their caterpillars…are the much disliked tomato hornworm. If one can spare a sacrificial tomato or tobacco plant (or some other similar Solanaceae species like wild nightshades) then you can move found hornworms to it to allow them to mature while keeping the rest of the garden intact, but their existence is rather a bigger importance than the irritation they might provide us.

#manduca #hawkmoth #hornworm #insects #entomology #animals #educational #wildlife #nature #backyardwildlife #carltoncarnivores

#pace
Ci lascia Paola #Manduca, biologa e genetista
https://www.peacelink.it/storia/a/50652.html

I named him Milton. Only Category 3 damage if that. #romatohorneworm #Five-spotted-hawk-moth #Manduca quinquennial #mendocinocounty #norcal

Anyone out there in #entomology land who has worked with #Manduca sexta in the UK? Just wondering how restricted it is, do you need a DEFRA licence etc.

minimeis G4 pour porter les enfants, testé pas validé, ça fait mal aux épaules même si l'enfant est bien positionné. C'est la 4e itération et il reste des sangles dans lesquelles il est impossible de glisser les jambes de l'enfant. Je retourne dans la tram #manduca !