Diet

• The caterpillars of Hyles lineata are highly polyphagous and feed on plants from many different families.

• Larvae frequently feed on plants in the evening-primrose family (Onagraceae), but can also utilize many herbaceous and woody plants.

• The caterpillars can occur in large numbers and may consume substantial quantities of foliage when populations increase.

Habitat

• The caterpillars occur in a remarkably broad range of habitats, including deserts, grasslands, meadows, woodland edges, agricultural areas, gardens and other open vegetation.

• They are particularly common in open habitats such as grasslands, shorelines, wet meadows and disturbed areas where suitable host plants are abundant.

• In the Zihua region, suitable habitat includes tropical dry forest margins, scrub, open woodland, fields and disturbed vegetation containing larval host plants.

Description

• The caterpillar is a large, robust hornworm that can reach approximately 8–9 cm in length.

• It is highly variable in colour, occurring in green, yellow, brown and nearly black forms.

• Many larvae have contrasting longitudinal stripes, often accompanied by yellow, orange or reddish spots along the sides of the body.

• A prominent pointed horn projects from the rear of the body, characteristic of sphinx-moth caterpillars.

• The horn is not a stinger and the caterpillar is harmless to humans.

• Mature larvae leave the host plant and burrow shallowly into the soil or leaf litter to pupate.