Miniature sarcophagus

nikv(73)
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#insects
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I noticed this on top of the freshly-dug earth around my house and couldn't believe my eyes at the size of it:

hawk moth pupae.jpg

On my hand for comparison

hawk moth pupae3.jpg

Unfortunately it was damaged by the digging and the moth inside has died. It's a pupating hawk moth of some kind. The caterpillars of this moth are one of those huge caterpillars that can eat up half the garden in one week. Last summer, I noticed that something ate my leopard lily leaves down to nothing although I never did find the culprit but I think that it must have been one of these caterpillars. They pupate underground and emerge in spring.

hawk moth pupae2.jpg

The head looks like a gas mask and the pipe-like object is a proboscis sheath, which got broken when it was dug up.

Definitely an example of art imitating nature, this is like something out of H.R. Giger

Miniature sarcophagus | Ecency