Cool! I can't answer your question, but if Susan sees it, she can. She has raised the Clearwing moths before. DId you check out Bugguide? They have images of larvae.

Based upon the bugguide.net pics and also my Caterpillars of Eastern North American guide, it sure looks like the right ID to me! Congrats! Lucky find!

bandjzmom, that book is where I found it. But wasn't sure. I checked BugGuide and these look like many of those pics. I haven't found any big late instar cats yet or any itty-bitties, but various sizes in between. There's a bunch of them, don't know how many yet. I did a quick check a while back when I first noticed the damage on the plant, but didn't find anything. With skeeters all over, it was too hard to stand out there and really check better then. Yay! Haven't had these cats before!

YES! You indeed have a Hemaris diffinus. Very easy to raise, a last instar is about the same size as a Monarch. I'm attaching info from. Bill Oehlke' s website. Be sure to look for the brown form, too.

Susan

Here is a link that might be useful: Snowberry Clearwing

Awesome:-) I have seen adults in the garden but never found a cat. I have plenty of "trash" honeysuckle, (invasive) for them to feed on, and have just added some Viburnum to the garden. Looking for Snowberry to add to my Caprifoliaceae region...

Congrats, congrats on your darling caterpillar!

Sherry

Thanks all! I had seen the adult on rare occasion in the past. Sneaky mother...I may have gotten a glimpse of her flying, now that I think about it, but didn't get a good look. Susan, thanks for the link, and I'll be going over that later! How many did you raise?

I've raised several over many years. In later instars I put layers of paper towels in the bottom of the rearing container for population.

Susan

I meant pupation. I'm on a roll today, yeegads!!!

Susan

Oh, that's not bad at all! At least you spelled both words right. Here's another pic of one of the cats. BTW, I didn't find any brown ones on the plant!.

Linda, here is a very old, not-so-good image of an early instar cat on my honeysuckle.

I hope I get to find some this year.

Live that chomping face in your photo.

Susan

Here is a link that might be useful: Brown Forn Hemaris diffinus Early Instar