Sphinginae subfamily
Sphingini tribe:
 |
Agrius cingulata,
WO Pink-spotted hawkmoth,
possible but unlikely 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).
|
 |
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). |
 |
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 and the upperside of the hindwing
is yellowish brown with obscure lines.
Catalpa is the larval host. |
 |
Ceratomia hageni
WO,
Hagen's Sphinx or Osage Orange Sphinx
The upperside of the 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. |
 |
Ceratomia undulosa
WO,
the Waved Sphinx:
The upperside of the forewing is pale brownish gray with wavy black
and white lines and a black-outlined white cell spot. |
 |
Dolba hyloeus
WO, the 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.
Larve are not limited to pawpaw.
|
 |
Lapara bombycoides
WO, the
Northern Pine Sphinx:
The upperside of the forewing is gray with heavy black bands. The upperside of the hindwing is brownish gray with no markings.
If you have pines, you
might have this species. It flies on P.E.I.
|
 |
Lintneria eremitus
WO, the
Hermit Sphinx:
The upperside of the forewing is gray-brown with wavy lines, black dashes, and
one or two small white spots near the center of the costa. |
 |
Manduca quinquemaculatus
WO, the Five-spotted Hawkmoth:
This large bodied moth flies in tobacco fields and vegetable gardens
(potatoes, tomatoes) and wherever host plants are found. |
|
Manduca sexta
WO, the Carolina Sphinx:
The upperside of the hindwing is banded with black and white and has
two black zigzag median lines that are very close together with
hardly any white showing between them
Larvae get very large and can strip a tomato plant.
|
 |
Neococytius cluentius,
WO Cluentius sphinx,
unlikely stray, but possible:
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.
|
 |
Paratrea plebeja
WO, unlikely stray, but possible.
the Plebeian Sphinx: 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.
|
|
Sphinx canadensis
WO,
Sphinx canadensis, the Canadian Sphinx, is not common, and is not often reported anywhere,
but it should be present in Winnebago County.
Larval hosts are white ash (Fraxinus americana) and blueberry
(Vaccinium).
|
 |
Sphinx chersis
WO, the Northern Ash
Sphinx or Great Ash Sphinx: The upperside of the forewing is soft dark gray to blue-gray with a series of black dashes,
one of which reaches the wing tip. |
 |
Sphinx drupiferarum
WO, the Wild Cherry
Sphinx: Forewings, long and slender, are held close to the body when the
moth is at rest. We have them on P.E.I.,
but I do not see them nearly as frequently as I see the other Sphingidae. |
 |
Sphinx gordius
WO, the
Apple Sphinx: Colouration and markings are highly variable from one specimen to another.
The fringes on forewing are mostly black with some white; those on
the hindwing are mostly white with a few black patches. |
 |
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.
|
 |
Sphinx luscitiosa
WO,
the Canadian Sphinx or
Clemen's Sphinx:
The upperside of the forewing is yellowish gray in males and pale
gray with a faint yellow tint in females. In both sexes, the dark
border on the outer margin widens as it approaches the inner margin.
|
 |
Sphinx poecila
WO, the Poecila Sphinx:
If you have blueberries in the woods, then you probably have the
Poecila Sphinx. They are pretty common here on Prince Edward Island,
but don't fly too far south of Massachusetts, being replaced by
Sphinx gordius in Connecticut. |
 |
Sphinx vashti WO, the Snowberry Sphinx:
Snowberry Sphinx adults fly as a single brood in montane woodlands and along prairie
streamcourses from April to August.
The upperside of the forewing has a narrow black subterminal line
bordered by a white inverted V-shaped line on the outside, and a
black line at the apex. |
Smerinthini Tribe:
 |
Amorpha juglandis
WO, the Walnut Sphinx:
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.
See the file for the female; she is different. |
 |
Pachysphinx modesta
WO,
the Modest Sphinx or Poplar Sphinx:
This moth has a large, heavy body, and
females can be remarkably plump.
|
 |
Paonias excaecata
WO, the Blinded Sphinx:
The outer margin of the forewing is quite wavy. There is a dark cell spot and a dark oblique line mid wing from the costa almost to the
inner margin. Basic ground colour is pinkish brown. Flight would be June-July. |
 |
Paonias myops
WO,
the Small-eyed Sphinx:
This small species is probably widespread and common. This species ranges across North America.
The hindwings have a small blue eyespot ringed with black on a yellow background.
|
 |
Smerinthus cerisyi
WO, the Cerisyi's
Sphinx or One-eyed Sphinx: Larvae feed on poplars and willows.
Flight would be from late May-July as a single brood.
Look for incomplete light arc near forewing apex.
|
 |
Smerinthus jamaicensis
WO, the
Twin-spotted Sphinx:
Look at right forewing tip where light coloration forms a complete letter "c"
by meeting the outer margin below the apex.
Along the East Coast, it flies from P.E.I. to Florida. |
Macroglossinae subfamily
Dilophonotini Tribe:
 |
Aellopos titan
WO, the Titan Sphinx:
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. unlikely, rare stray |
 |
Erinnyis ello
WO, the Ello Sphinx:
The abdomen has very distinct gray and black bands. The female's
forewing upperside is pale gray with a few dark dots near the outer
margin. The male's forewing upperside is dark gray and brown with
a black band running from the base to the tip. unlikely stray
|
 |
Erinnyis obscura, the Obscure Sphinx,
WO:
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.
unlikely, rare stray
|
See Hemaris comparison
to help distinguish the next three species.
 |
Hemaris diffinis
WO, the Snowberry Clearwing or Bumblebee Moth:
The moth flies along forest edges and in meadows, gardens and
brushy fields. Day-flying adults nectar at lantana, dwarf bush honeysuckle,
snowberry, orange hawkweed, thistles, lilac, Canada violet, etc.
|
 |
Hemaris gracilis
WO, possible but unlikely, the
Slender Clearwing or Graceful Clearwing:
Hemaris gracilis is distinguished from similar species by a pair of
red-brown bands on the undersides of the thorax, which varies from
green to yellow-green dorsally and sometimes brown with white
underneath. questionable
|
 |
Hemaris thysbe
WO, the Hummingbird Clearwing:
This interesting day flier is confirmed for Cook and McHenry, and is likely common.
They are widely distributed in the east from P.E.I. to Florida. |
Philampelini Tribe:
 |
Eumorpha achemon
WO,
the Achemon Sphinx:
This moth is confirmed for nearby McHenry County. It is fairly often
reported along the east coast from southern New Jersey
to central Maine.
Note the differences between this moth and the Pandorus Sphinx. |
 |
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 where
they have not previously been reported. |
Macroglossini Tribe:
 |
Amphion floridensis
WO, the Nessus Sphinx:
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.
|
 |
Darapsa choerilus
WO,
the Azalea Sphinx:
They are common in New Jersey and common
here on Prince Edward Island.
You will often see this species listed as Darapsa pholus,
especially in older literature. |
 |
Darapsa myron
WO, the Virginia Creeper Sphinx or the
Grapevine Sphinx:
This moth is recorded on the U.S.G.S. site for Stephenson County,
and it is probably common.
It is widely reported as far north as southern Maine. If you have the
foodplants indicated in the common names, you probably have this
species nearby. |
 |
Darapsa versicolor
WO,
the Hydrangea Sphinx:
If you have hydrangea growing near a stream, then you may have the
Hydrangea Sphinx. However, it
probably is uncommon.
|
 |
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.
The upperside of the hindwing is orange-brown with a dark brown
outer margin and median line.
|
 |
Hyles gallii
WO, the Bedstraw Hawk Moth
or Gallium Sphinx:
This species is not confirmed in Stephenson County, but it might be present.
Some years I see them on P.E.I., some years, I do not.
|
 |
Hyles lineata
USGS, the White-lined Sphinx:
Adults usually fly at dusk, during the night, and at dawn, but they
also fly during the day over a wide variety of open habitats
including deserts, suburbs, and gardens. |
 |
Sphecodina abbottii
WO/EB, the Abbott's Sphinx:
This moth is very much under reported on USGS. It is a
rapid day flier so is probably not in too many collections.
Grape is a popular larval host.
|
 |
Xylophanes tersa
WO, possible stray, generally more southerly,
the Tersa Sphinx:
The upperside of the forewing is pale brown with lavender-gray at the
base and has dark brown lengthwise lines throughout.
|
|
|
