Sphinginae subfamily
Sphingini tribe:
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Agrius cingulata,
WO Pink-spotted hawkmoth:
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,
Elm Sphinx; 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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Ceratomia catalpae
WO,
the Catalpa Sphinx:
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 hageni
WO,
Hagen's Sphinx; Osage Orange Sphinx.
Larvae feed on osage orange (Maclura pomifera).
Forewing is gray with a green tint and has dark indistinct wavy lines, and pale gray patches at the wing tip and along the costa.
The upperside of the hindwing is dark grayish brown with paler gray at the base and outer margin.
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Ceratomia undulosa
WO, Waved
Sphinx:
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.
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Dolba hyloeus
WO, Pawpaw Sphinx:
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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Lapara bombycoides
WO,
Northern Pine Sphinx:
This moth is not reported from your county which would be just about the
southern limit of its known range. If you have pines, you
might have this species.
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Lapara coniferarum
WO, the Southern Pine Sphinx:
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 phaeobrachycerous
WO, the
Pine Sphinx.:
The upperside of the forewing is charcoal gray to brownish gray with white scales along the curving postmedial line and a prominent black dash
(sometimes two) near the center of the wing. The upperside of the hindwing is uniform charcoal gray to brownish gray with no white scales or markings.
If you have pines, you
might have this species.
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Lintneria eremitus
WO, Hermit Sphinx:
Gray-brown with wavy lines, black dashes, one or two small white spots near center of
costa. Hindwing black with two white bands and triangular black patch at base. Note golden hair on thorax.
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Manduca jasminearum
WO, the Ash Sphinx:
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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Manduca quinquemaculatus
WO,
the Five-spotted Hawkmoth:
I suspect if you grow tomatoes, you are likely to encounter Manduca quinquemaculata.
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Manduca rustica
WO/RVH, the Rustic Sphinx:
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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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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 | 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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Sphinx canadensis
WO,
Sphinx canadensis, Canadian Sphinx, is not common, and is not
often reported anywhere,
but it might be in Jackson County.:
Larval hosts are white ash (Fraxinus americana) and blueberry
(Vaccinium).
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Sphinx chersis
WO, Northern Ash Sphinx, Great Ash Sphinx: This species is not reported in Madison County. Larval hosts are ash,
lilac, privet, cherry, and quaking aspen.
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Sphinx drupiferarum
WO, Wild Cherry Sphinx.
Dull slate grey with considerable light grey scaling in broad band along costa about 3/4 of distance from body toward
apex. Median lines: black, thin. Wavy, diffuse dark subterminal line, inwardly bordered by white, and whitish bar in terminal
area, paralleling outer margin.
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Sphinx franckii
WO, Franck's Sphinx Moth:
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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Sphinx kalmiae
WO, the Laurel Sphinx:
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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Smerinthini Tribe:
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Amorpha juglandis
WO, Walnut Sphinx:
Highly variable; sometimes wings of an individual
may be all one color or may have several colors, ranging from pale to
dark brown, may have white or pink tinge. Patterns range from
faint to pronounced. Female is different. |
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Pachysphinx modesta
WO,
the Modest Sphinx or Poplar Sphinx
This moth has a large, heavy body, and females can be remarkably plump.
Hindwings are maroon, blue and grey-brown.
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Both sexes rest with wings parallel to resting surface, with upper lobes of hindwings protruding above forewings. Lower abdomen of
male arcs upward toward head, while abdomen of female hangs strait down on vertical surface.
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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.
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Paonias myops
WO, 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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Smerinthus jamaicensis
WO,
the Twin-spotted Sphinx:
This moth is widely distributed and fairly common.
Along the East Coast, it flies from P.E.I. to Florida.
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Macroglossinae subfamily
Dilophonotini tribe:
See Hemaris comparison to help distinguish
the next two species.
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Hemaris thysbe
WO, 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 WO, the
Snowberry Clearwing; Bumblebee Moth:
Mimic bumblebees; quite variable. Wings: 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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Philampelini tribe:
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Eumorpha achemon
WO,
the Achemon Sphinx:
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, generally more southerly, Banded Sphinx/Lesser Vine Sphinx:
Dark pinkish brown. Each forewing has
lighter brown band along costa, sharp pinkish white bands and
streaks. Larvae feed upon primrose-willow, Ludwigia (water primrose)
other plants in evening primrose family.
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Eumorpha intermedia
WO, generally more southerly, 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. unlikely possibility
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Eumorpha pandorus
WO, the Pandorus Sphinx:
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, Typhon Sphinx:
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
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Macroglossini tribe:
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Amphion floridensis
WO,
the Nessus Sphinix:
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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Darapsa choerilus
WO, the Azalea Sphinx:
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. |
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Darapsa myron
WO, 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. |
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Darapsa versicolor
WO,
the Hydrangea Sphinx:
If you have hydrangea growing near a stream, then you might have the
Hydrangea Sphinx.
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Deidamia inscriptum
WO,
the Lettered Sphinx:
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. |
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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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Proserpinus guarae
WO,
the Proud Sphinx:
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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Sphecodina abbottii
WO,
the Abbott's Sphinx:
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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Xylophanes tersa
WO,
the Tersa Sphinx:
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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