mystery sphingid larva ID'd!

[James Kruse]

Thanks all who have responded to this inquiry! After comparing various
descriptions and even a JPEG with the drawing, and taking into account the
limited sphingid fauna in Alaska, I am very near positive that the larval
sighting was Proserpinus flavofasciata.

This is only the fourth time that this critter has been found and
reported/captured in the Fairbanks area, and the first in about a decade.
Not _really_ a surprise I suppose, since they are great bumblebee mimics as
adults and there are so few lepidopterists up here and looking at the time
of year that they are on the wing. In fact, the three adults (about which I
am aware and have any data) were caught while looking for bumblebees. Ken
Philip caught two of them, and if I remember his story correctly, he assumed
he was catching bumblebees when he swung the net. The third was captured by
Dr. John Fox during a bee pollination study. I will be watching closely for
adults this spring!

Thanks again,
Jim


James J. Kruse, Ph.D.
Curator of Entomology
University of Alaska Museum
907 Yukon Drive
Fairbanks, AK, USA 99775-6960
tel 907.474.5579
fax 907.474.1987
http://www.uaf.edu/museum/ento

> 
> 
> Has anyone reared the sphingid Proserpinus flavofasciata [Walker] and would
> be able to tell me if the full grown larvae is dark greyish green with a
> glassy spot instead of a horn? I received a digitized drawing via email and
> cannot place this thing. I have seen the larvae for the other sphingid
> species that are supposed to be up here, and have reared maybe a third of
> the U.S./Canadian species myself, and this apparently isn't one I've seen. I
> can forward the digitized drawing if anyone wants to take a look.
> 


 
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