mystery sphingid larva ID'd!

[Tony Thomas]

James Kruse wrote

"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 I will be watching closely for
adults this spring!"


Forget trying to see/catch adults but concentrate on mature larvae. To say 
they are not cryptically coloured is an understatement. To those who have 
not seen the mature larva, it is black with yellow spiracles and feeds by 
day high up on fireweed eating both leaves and flower buds. It's an easy 
search in an usually easy habitat. Trouble is almost all the mature larvae 
I have collected contained a parasitoid. If you do succeed in finding 
healthy larvae they pupate beneath the surface in the soil but they will 
not dig down unless they are in full sun. The parasitoid larva emerges 
before the sphingid larva 'digs in' so any larvae that do 'dig in' are 
clean. Young larvae are less often hit by parasitoids but such larvae are 
cryptically coloured and consequently harder to find. Best found by looking 
for feeing damage on the leaves. Easy to rear.

Tony





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