I always get excited when I discover a big, beautiful caterpillar, because I know she's going to turn into something very cool. This one was squiggling through the garden, so I snapped a few pics and then ran to the computer for an ID. Turns out she's a White-lined Sphinx Moth. In this larval stage, she might chew on our garden & orchard plants a bit, but I look forward to seeing her flitting about in adult form. The moths are important pollinators, sometimes mistaken for birds or bats at a quick glance. I hope you enjoy the pictures and hope you have a chance to meet a White-lined Sphinx Moth hornworm in person someday!
photo credit: USFWS
