Appearance
As caterpillars, they have a wide range of color phenotypes but show consistent adult coloration. With a wide geographic range throughout Central and North America, "H. lineata" is known to feed on many different host plants as caterpillars and pollinate a variety of flowers as adults.
Behavior
The foraging patterns of "H. lineata" varies according to altitude, temperature and other factors, all of which are highly variable over its vast geographic distribution."Hyles lineata" prefer flying at night but also sometimes fly during the day. They are most commonly seen at dusk and dawn.
Habitat
With such a wide geographic range, "H. lineata" are known to live in a variety of habitats, including deserts, gardens and suburbs. They have also been seen in abundance in the mountains of Colorado, but their presence varies from year to year in many places.
Food
The caterpillars have been gathered and eaten by Native Americans. After collection, they would be skewered and roasted for a feast, and any leftovers were stored whole or ground up after being dried. The nutritional value of the larvae has been analyzed, and found to be significant; they contain almost as much fat as hamburger meat, but have almost one-third less saturated fat, and more energy, protein, carbohydrate, riboflavin, and niacin than hamburger meat.References:
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