On Mon, 21 Jul 2003 19:55:34 GMT, animaux
wrote:

On 21 Jul 2003 14:23:42 GMT, (AuralFeast) wrote:

After looking at the pics, I'm pretty sure it was a nessus sphinx moth. It was
wierd for sure, but cool in that it was found in a relatively urban area.

The roost (so to speak) on the outside of our house on the limestone facade.
They are brilliant and beautiful insects. They pollinate our datura,
brugmansia, salvia, tithonia, gaura, and a ton of other plants, but they do love
nicotiana. Actually, they come from the tobacco horn worm, which are those giant
worms we find on our tomatoes. Tomato horn worms are found on tobacco! I have
no idea this name reversal happened, but it has.

Tomato and tobacco aren't all that far apart. But the Tomato
Hornworm is Manduca quinquemaculata, and the tobacco hornworm is
Manduca sexta. [apparenty 5 & 6 of something is what distinguishes
them] Neither becomes the Nessus Spinx, though.
See http://www.ext.colostate.edu/PUBS/INSECT/05517.html for some
pictures. Same family-- but definitely a different moth.


The caterpillar of the Nessus Sphinx Moth eats grapes, ampelopsis &
cayenne according to
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/d...hs/oh/1021.htm

Jim