Montgomery County, Maryland
Sphingidae

Hemaris thysbe nectaring, Montgomery County, Maryland,
July 15, 2011, courtesy of Mark Russell;
note burgundy abdominal bands and greenish body.

This page is inspired by and dedicated to Mark Russell, who provides the Hemaris thysbe (above) and Hemaris diffinis (below) images on this page.

Mark writes, I have captured images of an Hemaris thysbe in the state of Maryland.

"I was just watering the plants in my garden and noticed this Hummingbird-like insect flying and hovering over flower pedals. Wasn't really sure what it was until doing some extensive research into it. Came upon your website and thought it was AMAZING! So many different species, and classified into areas!

"These images are from Montgomery County Maryland, just north of Washington D.C. on July 15th, 2011."

Hemaris diffinis nectaring, Montgomery County, Maryland,
July 15, 2011, courtesy of Mark Russell;
note black legs, black abdominal bands and yellow-gold-body.

Hemaris diffinis nectaring, Montgomery County, Maryland,
July 15, 2011, courtesy of Mark Russell.

As of August 29, BAMONA lists the following Sphingidae from Maryland:

Agrius cingulata, Amorpha juglandis, Ceratomia undulosa, Lapara coniferarum, Manduca quinquemaculatus, Manduca sexta, Amphion floridensis, Darapsa myron, Eumorpha pandorus, Hemaris diffinis, Hemaris thysbe.

I have added many species which I (Bill Oehlke) feel are likely present. Please also send your sightings to BAMONA, an excellent online resource.

It is hoped that this checklist, with the thumbnails and notes, will help you quickly identify the moths you are likely to encounter.

Please help me develop this list with improved, documented accuracy by sending sightings (species, date, location), preferably with an electronic image, via email to Bill Oehlke.

Many thanks to Nancy Wert who provides the image of Eumotrpha pandorus below.

Eumorpha pandorus, Olney, Montgomery County, Maryland,
August 27, 2016, courtesy of Nancy Wert.

Visit Montgomery County, Maryland, Sphingidae Larvae: Caterpillars; Hornworms.
Visit Maryland Catocala: Underwing Moths.

Sphinginae subfamily Sphingini tribe: Agrius cingulata, Pink-spotted hawkmoth, stray This moth is a very strong flier, but would only make its way to Baltimore County as a rare stray. There are very few records for Maryland. 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). Ceratomia catalpae, 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. 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. Dolba hyloeus, 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. 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. 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. 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). 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. Manduca quinquemaculatus. Five-spotted Hawkmoth. 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. Manduca rustica, 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 Manduca sexta, 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. 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 Sphinx chersis, Northern Ash Sphinx/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, the Wild Cherry Sphinx Forewings, long and slender, are held close to the body when the moth is at rest. 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. 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. 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: Amorpha juglandis, Walnut Sphinx. 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. 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 Paonias astylus, 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Hemaris diffinis, the Snowberry Clearwing or 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. 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 Philampelini tribe: 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. Eumorpha pandorus, the Pandorus Sphinx If you have Grape or Virginia Creeper nearby, then you probably have this species. Eumorpha pandorus, Olney, August 27, 2016, courtesy of Nancy West. Macroglossini tribe: 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. 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. Darapsa myron, Virginia Creeper Sphinx/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. 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. 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 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. 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. Xylophanes tersa, 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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