Sphinginae subfamily
Sphingini tribe:
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Agrius cingulata, Pink-spotted hawkmoth, stray:
This moth is a very strong flier, but would only make its way to your county as a rare stray. There are very few records for Maryland.
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Ceratomia amyntor, 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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Ceratomia catalpae, 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 undulosa, 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. It is named for the wavy lines on the forewings. |
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Dolba hyloeus, the Pawpaw Sphinx (BAMONA): 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, 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. |
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Lapara coniferarum, 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. |
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Lintneria eremitus, 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. Larval hosts are various species of beebalm (Monarda), mints (Mentha), bugleweed (Lycopis),
and sage (Salvia). |
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Manduca jasminearum, 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, the Five-spotted Hawkmoth: The moth abdomen usually has five but sometimes six pairs of yellow
bands. The upperside of the forewing is blurry brown and gray. I suspect if you grow tomatoes, you are likely to encounter it. |
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Manduca rustica, the Rustic Sphinx: The abdomen of the adult moth has three pairs of yellow spots. The
upperside of the forewing is yellowish brown to deep chocolate brown with a dusting of white scales and zigzagged black and white lines.
unlikely possibility; stray |
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Manduca sexta, the Carolina Sphinx: The abdomen usually has six pairs of yellow bands, broken across the
back. The sixth set of markings is quite small. The upperside of the forewing has indistinct black, brown, and white markings.
If you grow tomatoes, you have probably encountered it, though. |
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Paratrea plebeja, 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.Questionable
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Sphinx chersis, 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. |
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Sphinx drupiferarum, the Wild Cherry Sphinx: Forewings, long and slender, are held close to the body when the moth
is at rest. |
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Sphinx franckii, Franck's Sphinx Moth: The outer margins of the forewings are slightly concave in the
male, but not in the female. The costal half of the forewings are grey, but the posterior portion is a distinctive warm yellowish-brown.
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Sphinx gordius, the Apple Sphinx: The upperside of the forewing ranges from brown with black borders
through brownish gray with paler borders to pale gray with no borders. Dashes, submarginal line, and cell spot are usually weak.
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Sphinx kalmiae, 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. |
Smerinthini Tribe:
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Amorpha juglandis, Walnut Sphinx: Adults are 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. Female is different. |
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Pachysphinx modesta, the Modest Sphinx or Poplar Sphinx: The larva is fond of poplars and willows.
This moth has a large, heavy body, and females can be remarkably plump. maybe
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Paonias astylus, the Huckleberry Sphinx:
Both sexes rest with wings parallel to the resting surface, with the upper lobes of the hindwings protruding above the forewings. The
lower abdomen of the male arcs upward toward the head, while the abdomen of the female hangs strait down on a vertical surface.
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Paonias excaecata, 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. |
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Paonias myops, the Small-eyed Sphinx: Named for the small eye-spot in the hindwing, this moth has a wide
distribution. Both sexes rest with wings
parallel to the resting surface, with the upper lobes of the hindwings protruding above the forewings.
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Smerinthus jamaicensis,
the Twin-spotted Sphinx:
Smerinthus jamaicensis closely resembles Smerinthus cerisyi, but jamaicensis is much smaller with larger blue
patches on more
vibrant and deeper purple in the lower wings. |
Macroglossinae subfamily
Dilophonotini tribe:
See Hemaris comparison to help distinguish the next three species.
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Hemaris thysbe, 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, Snowberry Clearwing; Bumblebee Moth:
Adults mimic bumblebees and are quite variable, both geographically and seasonally. The wings are basically clear, with dark brown to
brownish-orange veins, bases and edges. The thorax is golden-brown to dark greenish-brown.
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Hemaris gracilis, 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. They have a red abdomen. unlikely
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Philampelini tribe:
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Eumorpha achemon, the Achemon Sphinx:
It is fairly often reported along the coast from southern New Jersey to central Maine. Note the differences between this moth and
the Pandorus Sphinx.
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Eumorpha pandorus, the Pandorus Sphinx: If you have Grape or Virginia Creeper nearby, then you probably have
this species.
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Eumorpha pandorus, Elkview Shores, July 20, 2014, Elizabeth Pasquarello.
Macroglossini tribe:
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Amphion floridensis, 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, 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.
They are common
in Hunterdon County.
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Darapsa myron, the Virginia Creeper Sphinx or the Grapevine Sphinx:
The forewing upperside is dark brown to pale yellowish gray, with an
olive tint.
On the costal margin there is a dark rectangular patch, although this
may be reduced or absent. The upperside of the hindwing is pale orange.
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Darapsa versicolor, the Hydrangea Sphinx:
If you have hydrangea growing near a stream, then you may have the
Hydrangea Sphinx. The forewing upperside is often greenish brown
with curved dark lines and pinkish-white patches.
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Deidamia inscriptum, 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 |
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Hyles lineata, the White-lined Sphinx:
The forewing upperside is dark olive brown with paler brown along the
costa and outer margin, a narrow tan band running from the wing tip
to the base, and white streaks along the veins.
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Sphecodina abbottii, 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 and Virginia Creeper are popular larval hosts.
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Xylophanes tersa, 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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