The Sphingidae of Minnesota

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. I will attempt to identify any Sphingidae larvae or adults that are unknown to you.

Many thanks to Tom Middagh who has sent me much collection data (1970's - 1980's), especially for Nobles County. Those species followed by TM have been added to my original Minnesota list, courtesy of Tom.

Tom's complete list is at the bottom of this page.

Special thanks also goes to Mark Black for his sightings and images of Ceratomia undulosa and Hyles euphorbiae from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hyles euphorbiae had not been previously reported in Minnesota. Mark has also reported Amphion floridensis, Paonias excaecata and Deidamia inscriptum from Minneapolis (Hennepin County).

Special thanks also goes to Paul Santo for his sightings and images of Aellopos titan and Hemaris diffinis now posted on the Washington County page.

Hyles euphorbiae, Minneapolis, Minnesota, courtesy of Mark Black.

Enyo lugubris stray, Worthington, Nobles County, Minnesota,
August 25, 2021, courtesy of Tom Middaugh, digital repair to fw apices & upper o.m. by Bill Oehlke.

Many thanks to Gary Walton who surprised me with this sighting of Dolba Hyloeus from Carlton County in central eastern Minnesota. Possibly it is a first time sighting for Minnesota. As of July 9, 2021, BAMONA does not have it listed for Minnesota, so perhaps it is extending its range slightly to the west.

Dolba hyloeus, Barnum, Carlton County, Minnesota,
July 9, 2021, courtesy of Gary Walton

Sphinginae subfamily Sphingini tribe: Agrius cingulata stray Ceratomia amyntor T Ceratomia undulosa TM, T Ceratomia catalpae ab NE & SW Dolba hyloeus XE Lapara bombycoides NE 3/4 Lintneria eremitus T Manduca quinquemaculatus SW 3/4wwww Manduca sexta TM, S 1/5 Sphinx canadensis TM, NE 2/3 Sphinx chersis T Sphinx drupiferarum TM, T Sphinx gordius N 3/4 Sphinx kalmiae T, N 3/4 Sphinx luscitiosa NE 1/2 Sphinx poecila TM, N 3/4 Sphinx vashti SW 3/4 Smerinthini Tribe: Amorpha juglandis TM, T Pachysphinx modesta T Paonias excaecata T Paonias myops T Smerinthus cerisyi ab XSW Smerinthus jamaicensis T

Macroglossinae subfamily Dilophonotini tribe:mm Aellopos titan TM stray Enyo lugubris TM stray Erinnyis ello stray Eri. obscura TM stray Hemaris aethra N Hemaris diffinis T Hemaris gracilis N 1/2 Hemaris thysbe T Philampelini tribe:mm E. achemon TM, ab NE E. fasciatus RG stray Eum. pandorus XSE Macroglossini tribe: A. floridensis TM, T D. choerilus TM, NE 3/4 D. myron IM, T D. inscriptum TM, S 1/2 H. euphorbiae MB, N 1/2 Hyles gallii T H. lineata T P. falvofasciata XNE Proser. juanita W 1/3 Sphec. abbottii S 3/4 Xylo. tersa TM, stray Return to Index by Nation Return to U. S. A. Table Return to Main Sphingidae Index

Common names

Pink-spotted Hawkmoth (Agrius cingulata)
Elm Sphinx (Ceratomia amyntor)
Catalpa Sphinx (Ceratomia catalpae)
Ash Sphinx (Ceratomia undulosa)
Pawpaw Sphinx (Dolba hyloeus)
Northern Pine Sphinx (Lapara bombycoides)
Hermit Sphinx (Lintneria eremitus)
Five-spotted Hawkmoth (Manduca quinquemaculatus)
Carolina Sphinx (Manduca sexta)
Canadian Sphinx (Sphinx canadensis
Great Ash Sphinx (Sphinx chersis)
Cherry Sphinx (Sphinx drupiferarum
Apple Spjhinx (Sphinx gordius)
Laurel Sphinx (Sphinx kalmiae)
Canadian Sphinx (Sphinx luscitiosa)
Poecila Sphinx (Sphinx poecila)
Snowberry Sphinx (Sphinx vashti)

Walnut Sphinx (Amorpha juglandis)
Modest or Poplar Sphinx (Pachysphinx modesta)
Blinded Sphinx (Paonias excaecata)
Small-eyed Sphinx (Paonias myops)
One-eyed Sphinx (Smerinthus cerisyi)
Twin-spotted Sphinx (Smerinthus jamaicensis)

Titan Sphinx (Aellopos titan)
Mournful Sphinx Moth (Enyo lugubris)
Ello Sphinx (Erinnyis ello)
Obscure Sphinx (Erinnyis obscura)
Hummingbird Clearwing (Hemaris thysbe)
Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris diffinis)
Graceful Clearwing (Hemaris gracilis)

Achemon Sphinx (Eumorpha achemon<)
Banded Sphinx (Eumorpha fasciatus)
Pandorus Sphinx (Eumorpha pandorus)

Nessus Sphinx (Amphion floridensis)
Azalea Sphinx (Darapsa choerilus)
Virginia Creeper Sphinx (Darapsa myron)
Lettered Sphinx (Deidamia inscriptum)
Spurge Hawkmoth (Hyles euphorbiae)
Bedstraw Hawk Moth or Gallium Sphinx (Hyles gallii)
White-lined Sphinx (Hyles lineata)
Yellow-banded Day Sphinx (Proserpinus flavofasciata)
Juanita Sphinx (Proserpinus juanita)
Abbott's Sphinx (Sphecodina abbotti)
Tersa Sphinx (Xylophanes tersa)

---

Eumorpha fasciatus: On October 19, 2007, I received an image of a somewhat tattered live specimen from southern Minnesota (Waseca County), courtesy of Roxanne Goodrich. It would be a rare stray into the state.

Map from U.S. Census Bureau: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/maps/minnesota_map.html

Individual county checklists: Counties will be completed as sightings arrive. Currently only those in red are active.

Northwestern Minnesota

Kittson Polk Clay

Roseau Pennington Becker

Lake of the Woods Red Lake Clearwater

Marshall Norman Hubbard

Beltrami Mahnomen Cass

Centralwestern Minnesota

Wilkin Douglas Bigstone

Otter Tail Todd Swift

Wadena Stevens Chippewa

Traverse Pope Kandiyohi

Grant Stearns Meeker

Southwestern Minnesota

Lac Qui Parle Lincoln Pipestone Rock

Yellow Medicine Lyon Murray Nobles

Renville Redwood Cottonwood Jackson

McLeod Brown Watonwan Martin

Sibley Nicollet Blue Earth Faribault

Northeastern Minnesota

Koochiching Crow Wing

Itasca Aitkin

St. Louis Carlton

Lake Pine

Cook

Centraleastern Minnesota

Morrison Isanti Ramsey

Mille Lacs Chisago Washington

Kanabec Anoka Carver

Benton Wright Scott

Sherburne Hennepin Dakota

Southeastern Minnesota

Le Sueur Waseca Freeborn

Rice Steele Mower

Goodhue Dodge Fillmore

Wabasha Olmsted Houston

Winona

Aellopos titan, Titan Sphinx, Nobles, September 12, 1979
Aellopos titan, Titan Sphinx, Washington, July 4, 2006, Paul Santo
Agrius cingulata, Pink-spotted Hawkmoth, Nobles, September 24, 1981
Amphion floridensis, Nessus Sphinx, Nobles, June 11, 1992
Amphion floridensis, Nessus Sphinx, Minneapolis (Hennepin), June 4, 2006, Mark Black
Ceratomia amyntor, Four-horned Elm Sphinx, Nobles, May 29, 1976
Ceratomia undulosa, Waved Sphinx, Nobles, August 22, 1982
Cressonia juglandis, Walnut Sphinx, Becker, June 25, 1979
Darapsa myron Hog Sphinx, Nobles, June 7, 1977
Darapsa choerilus, Azalea Sphinx, Becker, June 25, 1979
Deidamia inscriptum, Lettered Nobles, May 21, 1977
Deidamia inscriptum, larva, Minneapolis, June 18, 2006, Mark Black
Erinnyis obscura, Obscure Sphinx, Nobles, October 2, 1979
Eumorpha achemon, Achemon Sphinx, Nobles, August 1, 1976
Eumorpha pandorus, Pandora Sphinx, Lyon, May 30, 1980
Hemaris diffinis, Becker, June 26, 1979
Hemaris diffinis, Snowberry Clearwing, Washington, July, 2005, Paul Santo
Hemaris thysbe, Hummingbird Clearwing, Nobles, June 19, 1976
Hyles euphorbiae, Spurge Hawkmoth, Nobles, July 20, 2007
Hyles gallii, Galium Sphinx, Murry, May 30, 1986
Hyles lineata, White-lined Sphinx, Nobles, June 2, 1975
Lapara bombycoides,Norther Pine Sphinx, Becker, June 27, 1979
Manduca quinquemaculata, Five-spotted Hawkmoth, Nobles, September 28, 1979
Manduca sexta, Nobles, July 30, 1976
Pachysphinx modesta, Poplar Sphinx, Nobles, June 20, 1979
Paonias excaecatus, Blinded sphinx, Nobles, June 20, 1979
Paonias myops, Small-eyed Sphinx, Nobles, June 28, 1976
Smerinthus cerisyi, Cerisyi's Sphinx, Becker, June 29, 1979
Smerinthus jamaicensis, Twin-spotted Sphinx, Nobles, July 25, 1976
Sphinx canadensis, Becker, June 5, 1979
Sphinx chersis, Great Ash Sphinx, Nobles, July 1, 1977
Sphinx drupiferarum, Wild Cherry Sphinx, Nobles, July 17, 2004
Sphinx gordius, Apple Sphinx, Becker, June 23, 1978
Sphinx kalmiae, Laurel Sphinx, Nobles, July 2, 1983
Xylophanes tersa, Tersa Sphinx, Nobles, August 3, 1975

Hyles euphorbiae larva: Marc Stratton writes, "This 'bug' was photographed near Rollag, Minnesota (35 Miles SE of Fargo, ND), on 2005/09/08 at 8:34 AM. "I never knew what its moth looked like; and so much smaller than one would expect." Rollag is in Clay County in Northwestern, Minnesota. Please send images/sighting data/etc. to Bill Oehlke.

Individual county larvae checklists: Counties will be completed as sightings arrive. Currently only those in red are active.

Northwestern Minnesota

Kittson Polk Clay

Roseau Pennington Becker

Lake of the Woods Red Lake Clearwater

Marshall Norman Hubbard

Beltrami Mahnomen Cass

Centralwestern Minnesota

Wilkin Bigstone

Otter Tail Todd Swift

Wadena Stevens Chippewa

Traverse Pope Kandiyohi

Grant Stearns Meeker

Southwestern Minnesota

Lac Qui Parle Lincoln Pipestone Rock

Yellow Medicine Lyon Murray Nobles

Renville Redwood Cottonwood Jackson

McLeod Brown Watonwan Martin

Sibley Nicollet Blue Earth Faribault

Northeastern Minnesota

Koochiching Crow Wing

Itasca Aitkin

Saint Louis Carlton

Lake Pine

Cook

Centraleastern Minnesota

Morrison Isanti Ramsey

Mille Lacs Chisago Washington

Kanabec Anoka Carver

Benton Wright Scott

Sherburne Hennepin Dakota

Southeastern Minnesota

Le Sueur Waseca Freeborn

Rice Steele Mower

Goodhue Dodge Fillmore

Wabasha Olmsted Houston

Winona

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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