Zebra Sphinx Caterpillar

Description:

this looks like an ordinary black and yellow stripped caterpillar about 2" long but what really sets it apart is an amazing 2" long tail at the rear end. see second pic for the full length.

Habitat:

amazon

Notes:

This was the only caterpillar I've ever seen like this. This spotting is part of a group of about 25 spottings that were all spotted in the same place on the same morning of December 9, 2012 from 9am to 11am in the morning. I went out with a friend and 2 guides. We stayed close to the lodge because they sky was very dark and we could hear thunder in the distance. We walked through some secondary forest and through a huge patch of Cassava, where I spotted most of these insects. It was an amazing morning! It rained just as we got back to the lodge. It was our last hike at the lodge and one of the most spotting filled. I have some other spottings with this date but those dates were just an estimate and not exact. This group of spottings were the only ones I photographed on Dec 9.