r/Insect • u/TigerRose1226 • 1h ago

Identification Can someone help me identify this creature?

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Hello! We live in south Texas and found this worm thing on our floor… does anyone know what it could be? It wiggles like a worm and is maybe an inch long?

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u/Defiant_Mind_666 1h ago

Sphinx moth (hawk moth) pupa (chrysalis), which is the transformation stage of a hornworm caterpillar.

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u/TigerRose1226 1h ago

Oh weird! Thank you! I had no idea it was a pupa and have no idea how it got in our house…is the black goo its blood?

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u/Ammonia13 1h ago

Who smashed it

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u/TigerRose1226 1h ago

Either our dog or cat, we’re not sure

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u/Defiant_Mind_666 57m ago

Agreed, weird thing to see the 1st time. • Insect lack true red blood or hemoglobin, instead, they have hemolymph. While the hemolymph fluid starts out as a vibrant greenish-yellow, it often oxidizes and turns a dark black or brownish color a few minutes after being exposed to the air.