Rewilding My Lot

While thinning some plants in an area, I came across this chunky beauty. It’s a caterpillar of the White-Lined Sphinx (Hyles lineata), which is a large moth that I see here fairly often.

As it feeds on nectar, the way this moth flits and hovers has given it the nickname of “hummingbird moth.” When I first saw one of these a couple of years ago, I did initially think that it was a hummingbird until I studied it more closely. It’s smaller than a hummingbird, but not by much. White-Lined Sphinx moths have long tongues, so I often see them feeding from tubular flowers, as hummingbirds like to do.

I don’t know in what stage of development this caterpillar was, but when they’re ready to pupate they dig shallow burrows in the ground where they stay for 2-3 weeks before emerging as adults. Since my gardening had exposed it, I moved it to a shady spot underneath some plants and wished it well.