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Daphnis nerii
both 4th instars; colour difference due to diet - one on the leaves and the other on the flowers of host plant Adenium obesum
suburban dwelling
Daphnis nerii (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae; Macroglossinae; Macroglossini)
Spotted on Dec 13, 2020
Submitted on Dec 13, 2020
6 Comments
Yes yes, with my question brought up, I did some reading and this information was there and now its confirmed! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge, looking forward for more! :)
@i_munasinghe
another thing i forgot to mention, that contrary to popular assumption, NOT all 5th instars turn brownish prior to pupation as some do remain green!
Yes we do indeed! :) Thank you so much, its fascinating!
@i_munasinghe
we learn new things everyday, dont we?
you may rest easy as many others have the same thought as you, so you are not alone. i have been observing them for years in my garden, and at times even those in their 2nd or 3rd instars turn brownish too if the munched on the flowers.
Wow! I didn't know that the color difference arise due to their diet, I thought they all turn brown in their 5th instar just before pupation..
So Beautiful!