The Ello Sphinx Moth Caterpillars have been chewing my Wild Poinsettia leaves off the stems. Some areas are completely bald; it's really funny looking.

I raised my first one inside and it emerged early in the dark before dawn. I was barely awake, going to make coffee before anyone else woke up, and I jumped when the moth began to fly against the side of the bug box as I walked past. It sounded like a rattle snake! After my heart stopped pounding, I took the critter outside to try to get a nice photo before it flew off:

It looked like a red-eyed monster! Something about the noise of its wings, and the fright it gave me, and the pre-dawn dark set the stage for a creepy mood, and I just couldn't bring myself to pick up the moth. I only got a few photos before it flew away.

If at first you don't succeed.... so I brought a few more caterpillars inside so I could get more Ello Sphinx Moth photos to replace this creepy one.