Eyed Hawk-moth - Smerinthus ocellata, pupae

The last segment of the pupa can be examined to determine the sex of the butterfly that will hatch. In autumn 2021 I found some caterpillars of the Eyed Hawk-moth and brought some home to raise. In September they successfully pupated and I decided to dig them up to see how they were holding up and if I managed to get a male and female. We did! In the second photo I have marked the identification features: the male on the top, with a visually distinct segment, and the female on the bottom, with a "non-occluding" segment.

The eggs look healthy, hopefully they will hatch successfully in spring!