Death's-head Hawkmoth caterpillar

Description:

The young larva eats the egg-shell after hatching and rests on the midrib or on a vein on the underside of a leaf. It usually eats the cast skin after moulting, rests in the typical 'Sphinx' attitude, and when molested throws the head and anterior segments of the body from side to side, at the same time making a rapidly repeated clicking noise, which appears to be produced by the mandibles. When ready to pupate it stops feeding for some days, and the dorsum becomes suffused with purplish (in the green form) or brown (in the brownish grey and yellow forms). It then leaves the hostplant and hurries along the ground in search of a suitable place to burrow in the earth, moving with a quick undulatory motion. The prolegs and claspers lose most of their grasping powers during this period. On finding a suitable place it pushes its head into the earth, buries itself in a few minutes, and makes an ovoid cell about 150mm under the surface of about 80 x 40mm, the inside smooth but not lined with silk (Bell & Scott, 1937).

Habitat:

roadside forestry area