Updated as per James P. Tuttle's The Hawk Moths of North America, August 25, 2008
Updated as per personal communication with Chris Conlan (mature larva, San Diego County, California, 2018); October 23, 2018

The Sphingidae of California


Arctonotus lucidus courtesy of T. W. Davies.

Click on one of the Scientific names to see images and access information. N.B., the files are not linked back to this page. To return to this index, simply use your browser back button.

Please help me improve this site by sending sighting data (species; location [county]; date) to Bill Oehlke. Images are also greatly appreciated and will be used and credited (with permission) on county pages.

Many thanks to all who have submitted images and data. I have added Erinnyis oenotrus to the list, based on a report for San Diego County from Steve Alexander. I have not seen an image of the moth.

Sphinginae subfamily

Sphingini tribe:

Agrius cingulata stray
Cocytius antaeus XS
Manduca quinquemaculatus Twwwwwwww
Manduca rustica S 1/8
Manduca sexta SW 2/3
Sphinx asellus XCE
Sphinx chersis ab XNE
Sphinx dollii northern tip of XSE
Sphinx drupiferarum N 1/2
Sphinx libocedrus northern tip of XSE
Sphinx perelegans ab XSE
Sphinx sequoiae W 1/2
Sphinx vashti E 1/2

Smerinthini Tribe:

Pachysph. occidentalis T
Paonias excaecata N 1/3
Paonias myops E 1/3
Smerinthus cerisyi *
Smerinthus ophthalmica NC
Smerinthus saliceti XSE tip
* Moths previously listed as
S. cerisyi, west of the
Continental Divide, are more
likely S. ophthalmica



Macroglossinae subfamily

Dilophonotini tribe:mm

Aellopos clavipes rare stray
Call. falcifera rare stray
Er. crameri SE 1/5, rare
Erinnyis ello S 1/4
Erinnyis obscura S 1/4
Er. oenotrus rare stray; SA




Philampelini tribe:mm

Eumorpha achemon W 7/8
Eum. fasciatus rare stray








Macroglossini tribe:

E. euterpe Walker Basin
Eup. phaeton SW 1/3
Euproserpinus wiesti XNE
Hyles euphorbiae
Hyles lineata T
Pros. clarkiae ab SE
Pros. flavofasciata XNW
Proserpinus lucidus W 7/8


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Active files exist for those counties listed in red. Sighting data would be greatly appreciated. Please send data to Bill Oehlke. Files will be created and uploaded as information arrives.

Smerinthus saliceti male, Encinitas, northern/coastal San Diego County, California,
August 21, 2007, 5:00pm, courtesy of Don Doerfler, Digital Camera: Olympus 5060, 8MP

Smerinthus saliceti male, Lake Arrowhead, San Bernardino County, California,
July 8, 2014, courtesy of Krystal Kinney, via Daniel Marlos of What's that Bug;
identification by Bill Oehlke.

Notes/thumbnails (adult moths) for individual counties, northern California:

Del Norte W
Siskiyou NE
Glenn C
Plumas SE

Humboldt W
Modoc NE
Butte C
Sierra SE

Trinity W
Shasta NE
Colusa C
Nevada SE

Mendocino W
Lassen NE
Sutter C
Placer SE

Lake W
Tehama NE
Yuba C
ElDorado SE

Notes on individual counties, central California:

Marin NW
Sacramento NC
El Dorado NE
San Francisco WC
Mono E
Monterey S

Sonoma NW
San Joaquin NC
Alpine NE
Alameda WC
Mariposa E
San Benito S

Napa NW
Stanislaus NC
Amador NE
San Mateo WC
Madera E
Kings S

Yolo NW
Merced NC
Calaveras NE
Santa Cruz WC
Fresno E
Tulare S

Solana NW
Contra Costa NC
Tuolumne NE
Santa Clara WC
Inyo E

Notes on individual counties, southern California:

San Luis Obispo
Los Angeles

Kern
Orange

San Bernardino
Riverside

Santa Barbara
San Diego

Ventura
Imperial

Eumorpha achemon, fourth instar larva, June 25, 2005
Lake Elsinore in Riverside County, courtesy of Peter Sidoruk.

The section below will be developed starting in 2007, based on larval images submitted from California. Currently only those counties listed in red are active.

Larval thumbnails for individual counties, northern California:

Del Norte W
Siskiyou NE
Glenn C
Plumas SE

Humboldt W
Modoc NE
Butte C
Sierra SE

Trinity W
Shasta NE
Colusa C
Nevada SE

Mendocino W
Lassen NE
Sutter C
Placer SE

Lake W
Tehama NE
Yuba C
Eldorado SE

Larval thumbnails for individual counties, central California:

Marin NW
Sacramento NC
El Dorado NE
San Francisco WC
Mono E
Monterey S

Sonoma NW
San Joaquin NC
Alpine NE
Alameda WC
Mariposa E
San Benito S

Napa NW
Stanislaus NC
Amador NE
San Mateo WC
Madera E
Kings S

Yolo NW
Merced NC
Calaveras NE
Santa Cruz WC
Fresno E
Tulare S

Solana NW
Contra Costa NC
Tuolumne NE
Santa Clara WC
Inyo E

Larval thumbnails for individual counties, southern California:

San Luis Obispo
Los Angeles

Kern
Orange

San Bernardino
Riverside

Santa Barbara
San Diego

Ventura
Imperial

Enjoy some of nature's wonderments, giant silk moth cocoons. These cocoons are for sale winter and fall. Beautiful Saturniidae moths will emerge the following spring and summer. Read Actias luna rearing article. Additional online help available.

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Please send sightings/images to Bill. I will do my best to respond to requests for identification help.


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