Skip to main content
Today is National Trails Day!
Close

Daphnis Caterpillar with Frass

Daphnis nerii

Published on Project Noah
Zoom
NominateNominate for Wildlife Photograph of the Month
reportFlag Spotting

14.33, 121.09

Field Notes

Description:

An Oleander Hawk-moth larva with its frass (excrement) that look like pellets. The caterpillar (late instar, most probably a 4th instar larva) is about 45mm in length. Found them on leaves of a Desert Rose plant (Adenium obesum), one of its hostplants.

Daphnis nerii (Linnaeus, 1758) (formerly Deilephila nerii), known as the Oleander Hawk-moth or Army Green Moth, is a moth of the Sphingidae family.

Habitat:

Backyard garden.

Notes:

Reference:
http://mothshots.com/Pages/ImagePages/MacroMoths/Macro-O/OleanderHawk-m…
http://onenezz.blogspot.com/2011/10/oleander-hawk-moth-caterpillar.html

Reference Links:

Daphnis nerii

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (18)
AgnesAdiqueTalavera
Thank you Ira and Tic. The caterpillars are easily found on their hostplants, that's why I had chances to rear some of them for documentation purposes. Most of the adult moths I've seen are the ones I've reared. I've only seen them in the wild a couple of times and never saw them feeding.
AgnesAdiqueTalavera
Thanks Rieko, I love these links also :) Thanks Tiz. These caterpillars are like feeding machines. :)
Tiz
Interesting! They seem to poop a lot though, haha! I smiled when I read about your mothers faschination of those caterpillars as well... Great story!
RiekoS
Very nice series. I enjoyed the notes too.
LaurenZarate
Yuck, that slimy 3rd picture doesn't inspire me to eat until next week! :) Good to show what the doodles look like. So often only the doodles give away their presence and many people think they are seeds of some kind.
AgnesAdiqueTalavera
:) coffee beans and pecans... now I'm thinking of a coffee break with a pack of mixed nuts to go :)
Epicology
o.o the frass looks like pecans...
AgnesAdiqueTalavera
Thanks Maria :) My Mom so loves the oleander hawk-moth, that she allows the Desert Rose and Madagascar Periwinkle plants to occupy 1/4 of the backyard garden and feed these 'babies' :)
Maria dB
These caterpillars look so adorable to me. And the frass looks a bit like rumpled coffee beans

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Butterflies & Moths of the World
Mission
Caterpillars and larvae of the World
Mission
Philippine Wildlife
Mission
Moths in the Philippines
Mission
National Geographic's Great Nature Project

Tags

Photographed
PublishedJuly 18, 2013

Community Sponsor

Butterfly
Become a Community Sponsor and Help Grow our Global Movement!

Accelerate our Mission to Photograph 
Every Species in the World!

Butterflies icon
Become a Community Sponsor

Wildlife Community

Wildlife Community

Join a worldwide community passionate about wildlife and nature!

Join Project Noah

Nature School

Nature School

Transform your green space into a curiosity-creating nature classroom!

Visit Nature School

Wildlife Game

Wildlife Game

Defend wildlife throughout the jungle in thrilling nature game!

Play Baboon

Nature & Conservation Organizations

Brands & Mission-Focused Companies