Pachylia ficus
Fig Sphinx

Pachylia ficus, Nova Iguacu, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
December 4, 2016, courtesy of Diogo Luiz.

This site has been created by Bill Oehlke
Comments, suggestions and/or additional information are welcomed by Bill.

TAXONOMY:

Family: Sphingidae, Latreille, 1802
Subfamily: Macroglossinae, Harris, 1839
Tribe: Dilophonotini, Burmeister, 1878
Genus: Pachylia Walker, 1856 ...........
Species: ficus Linnaeus, 1758

As additional images of Pachylia ficus become available, I will post them below. The larvae are highly varied.

Pachylia ficus fifth instar, Pedro Leopoldo, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
December 26, 2016, courtesy of Wolfgang Walz.

Alves Tavares writes regarding a female Pachylia ficus "Created her from 22/02/2019 (green larva) to today 21/03/2019 (adult moth). Collected the caterpillar in a Ficus pumilla on the wall of my house in Parnaíba, Piauí, Brazil. I was feeding with leaves of this creeper. I was impressed by the amount of feces that passed from fifty per day! On the sixth day she changed the color of green to orange with blue and stopped feeding. Two days later turned into pupa. The adult emerged today after 17 days, took the photos and released in my backyard!"

Pachylia ficus fourth or fifth instar, Parnaiba, Piaui, Brazil,
February 22, 2019, courtesy of Alves Tavares

Pachylia ficus frass (one day's work), Parnaiba, Piaui, Brazil,
February 26, 2019, courtesy of Alves Tavares

Pachylia ficus fifth instar, Parnaiba, Piaui, Brazil,
February 28, 2019, courtesy of Alves Tavares

Pachylia ficus pupa, Parnaiba, Piaui, Brazil,
March 2, 2019, courtesy of Alves Tavares

Pachylia ficus inflating, Parnaiba, Piaui, Brazil,
March 21, 2019, courtesy of Alves Tavares

Pachylia ficus ready to go, Parnaiba, Piaui, Brazil,
March 21, 2019, courtesy of Alves Tavares

Pachylia ficus final instar, Foz do Iguacu, Parana, Brazil,
April 9, 2019, courtesy of Fabricio Vilela.

Pachylia ficus final instar, Massaranduba, Santa Catarina, Brazil,
January 3, 2019, courtesy of Joao Amarildo Ranguetti.

Pachylia ficus Sao Jose, Santa Catarina, Brazil,
April 28, 2020, courtesy of Sandro Silva, id by Bill Oehlke.

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Enjoy some of nature's wonderments: Saturniidae cocoons. Cocoons of the giant silkmoths may be purchased in the fall and winter. Big and beautiful giant silk moths will emerge in spring/summer. Read Actias luna rearing article. Additional online help available.