Sphinginae subfamily
Sphingini tribe:
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Agrius cingulata,
WO Pink-spotted hawkmoth,
stray
This species is a strong migrant and adults nectar from
deep-throated flowers including moonflower (Calonyction aculeatum),
morning glory (Convolvulus), honey suckle (Lonicera)
and petunia (Petunia species).
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Ceratomia amyntor
WO,
the Elm Sphinx or Four-horned Sphinx
The upperside of the forewing is brown with dark brown and white markings including a white costal area near the wing base, dark streaks along the veins,
and a white spot in the cell.
Larvae feed on Elm (Ulmus), birch (Betula), basswood (Tilia), and
cherry (Prunus). |
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The upperside of the forewing is yellowish brown with no white markings, but there are indistinct black lines and dashes.
The cell spot is gray with a black outline. The larvae feed in large groups and are much more
spectacular than the moths.
Catalpa is the larval host.
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Ceratomia catalpae, Rehobeth, August 9, 2008, Joel Szymczyk.
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The upperside of the forewing is pale brownish gray with wavy black
and white lines and a black-outlined white cell spot. The upperside
of the hindwing is gray with diffuse darker bands. |
Ceratomia undulosa maybe, March 29, 2008, Alan Lee and Joel
Szymczyk.
Ceratomia undulosa, Rehobeth, August 9, 2008, Joel Szymczyk.
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The upperside of the forewing is dark brown with a dusting of white
scales. Some moths have patches of reddish or yellowish brown on the
wings.
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Isoparce cupressi
WO, the Cypress or Baldcypress Sphinx
Isoparce cupressi, the rare Cypress Sphinx, flies in Cypress swamps in Georgia (specimen type locality), and from Maryland to Texas.
It has been reported in Mexico.
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If you have pines, you
might have this species.
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The upperside is of the forewing is gray with two
(sometimes one or three) black dashes near the wing center; other markings are usually diffuse. The upperside of the hindwing is a uniform brown-gray.
If you've got pines, this species is likely present.
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Lapara coniferarum, April 10, Joel Szymczyk.
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The upperside of forewing is gray to grayish brown with a black line
running from the middle of the costa to the middle of the outer
margin; the line may be broken near the margin. There is a splash of
brown around the cell spot.
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I suspect if you grow tomatoes, you are likely to encounter Manduca quinquemaculata.
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Look for three large yellow spots
on each side of the abdomen. The upperside of the forewing is
yellowish brown to deep chocolate brown with a dusting of white
scales and zigzagged black and white lines.
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Manduca sexta
WO/JS, the Carolina Sphinx
If you grow tomatoes, you have probably encountered Manduca sexta
in the larval stage.
Larvae get very large and can strip a tomato plant.
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Manduca sexta, Rehobeth, August 9, 2008, Joel Szymczyk.
 | The upper side of the forewing is blurry black with orange markings. The upperside of the hindwing is black with orange at the base and
orangish yellow patches between the veins, forming a band across the wing.
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 | The upperside of the forewing is gray with indistinct black and
white markings. There is a series of black dashes
from the base to the tip, and a small white cell spot.
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The costal half of the forewings are grey, but the posterior portion
is a distinctive warm yellowish-brown; the boundary between these two
areas is marked with a series of dark diagonal streaks. Similar to
S. kalmiae but lacks the dark bar
along the fw inner margin. |
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The lower forewings are predominantly brownish-yellow with a fairly
wide dark bar along the inner margin. At rest the wings hug the body,
giving the moth a long slender look.
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Sphinx kalmiae, March 29, April 10, 2008, Alan Lee and Joel
Szymczyk.
Smerinthini Tribe:
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The adults are also highly variable; sometimes wings of an individual
may be all one color or may have several colors, ranging from pale to
dark brown, and may have a white or pink tinge. Patterns range from
faint to pronounced.
See the file for the female; she is different.
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Amorpha juglandis, April 10, Joel Szymczyk
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Pachysphinx modesta
WO,
the Modest Sphinx or Poplar Sphinx
They are common on Prince Edward Island, and are
possibility for Houston County. |
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Paonias astylus flies from March-September in Florida and from
April-September in Louisiana. There is one brood northward from
June-August.
This appears to be an uncommon species.
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Named for the dull grey-blue spot (minus dark pupil) in the hindwing,
this moth has a wide distribution in the eastern United States.
I regularly see them on Prince Edward Island, and they are reported
as far south as Florida. |
Paonias excaecata: Joel Szymczyk report sighting
September 2, 2008
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Paonias myops
USGS/JS, the Small-eyed Sphinx
Named for the small eye-spot in the hindwing, this moth has a wide
distribution and is probably common in Houston County.
I regularly see them on Prince Edward Island, and they are reported
as far south as Florida.
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Paonias myops: Joel Szymczyk report sightings
March 16, 22, 29, 2008
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This moth is widely distributed and fairly common.
Along the East Coast, it flies from P.E.I. to Florida.
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Smerinthus jamaicensis male, September 7, 2008, 2230 hrs, Rehobeth,
Joel Szymczyk.
Macroglossinae subfamily
Dilophonotini tribe:
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Aellopos titan
WO, the Titan Sphinx. possible stray
The body is dark brown with a wide white stripe across the abdomen.
The wings are dark brown. It is very similar to above species, but the
upperside of the hindwing has
pale patches along the costa and inner margin. |
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The body and wings are dark brown. The forewing has a large black
patch covering most of the outer half of the wing. There is a pale
tan cell spot (dark inner pupil), and a fairly straight median line
to the inside of the cell spot.
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During the night adults nectar at flowers, including bouncing bet
(Saponaria officinalis) and Asystasia gangetica beginning at dusk.
July and August are flight times in the southern states. remote possibility
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See Hemaris comparison to help distinguish
the next two species.
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Hemaris thysbe
WO, the Hummingbird Clearwing
It is not difficult to see why many gardeners would mistake an
Hemaris thysbe moth for a small hummingbird as it hovers,
sipping nectar from flowers through a long feeding tube.
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Hemaris diffinis USGS, the
Snowberry Clearwing or Bumblebee Moth
Adults mimic bumblebees and are quite variable. The wings are basically clear, with dark brown to
brownish-orange veins, bases and edges. The thorax is golden-brown to
dark greenish-brown. The abdomen tends to be dark (black) with 1-2
yellow segments before the tip.
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The upperside of the forewing is dark brown with a dark spot at the
base of the costa and blurry gray and white markings. The upperside
of the hindwing is dark brown with white along the inner margin, and
the lower half of the outer margin.
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Philampelini tribe:
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Larvae get large and feed on grape vines and Virginia creeper.
Note the differences between this moth and the Pandorus Sphinx. |
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Eumorpha fasciatus
WO, the Banded Sphinx/Lesser Vine Sphinx
The upperside of the moth is dark pinkish brown. Each forewing has a
lighter brown band along the costa, and sharp pinkish white bands and
streaks. Larvae feed upon primrose-willow, Ludwigia (water primrose)
and other plants in the evening primrose family.
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Eumorpha intermedia
WO, the Intermediate Sphinx
The Intermediate Sphinx Moth, (Eumorpha intermedia), (Wing span: 3 9/16 - 3 7/8 inches (9 - 9.8 cm)), flies in lower austral and subtropical lowlands in North Carolina, Florida,
Mississippi, Louisiana, and South Texas. posibility
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If you have Grape or Virginia Creeper nearby, then you probably have
this species.
I often get asked to identify larvae from areas not
previously reported. |
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Eumorpha typhon
WO,
the Typhon Sphinx.
The upperside of wings is deep red-brown with pale brown bands. Each
hindwing has pink along the costal margin and a triangular white spot
on the outer part of the inner margin. possible rare stray, based on Derek Bridgehouse report from Madison County.
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Macroglossini tribe:
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This day flier is widely distributed. If you have Virginia Creeper, you
probably have the Nessus Sphinx. Two bright, distinct, narrow yellow
bands are often visible on the abdomen.
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The lower wings of this hawkmoth are a solid brownish-orange,
matching the body colour.
You will often see this species listed as Darapsa pholus,
especially in older literature. |
Darapsa choerilus: Joel Szymczyk report sightings
March 16, 22, 29, 2008
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Darapsa myron
WO/AL/JS, the Virginia Creeper Sphinx or the Grapevine Sphinx
If you have the
foodplants indicated in the common names, you probably have this
species nearby. The lower wings are orange. |
Darapsa myron, March 29, 2008, Alan Lee and Joel
Szymczyk.
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If you have hydrangea growing near a stream, then you might have the
Hydrangea Sphinx.
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The moth's outer margin of the forewing is deeply scalloped.
The upperside is light brown with dark brown markings.
There is a small black and white spot near the tip.
Grape (Vitis), ampelopsis (Ampelopsis), and Virginia creeper
(Parthenocissus) all serve as larval hosts. |
Deidamia inscriptum: Joel Szymczyk reports a sighting
March 16, 2008
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Hyles lineata
WO, the White-lined Sphinx
This species has
strong migrating tendancies from much further south.
There are records from New Hampshire and Maine. |
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The rare and possibly endangered Proud Sphinx flies from Texas and
Louisiana east to northern Florida, north to Alabama, Missouri,
northern Georgia, and South Carolina. slight possibility
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This moth is very much under reported across the United States. It
is a rapid day flier so is probably not in too many collections.
Grape is a popular larval host.
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Sphecodina abbottii, March 17, Cottonwood, Joel Szymczyk
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The upperside of the forewing is pale brown with lavender-gray at the base and has dark brown
lengthwise lines throughout. The upperside of the hindwing is dark brown with a band of whitish, wedge-shaped marks.
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