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Updated as per James P. Tuttle's The Hawk Moths of North America, August, 2009
Updated as per BAMONA, August 13, 2011
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Madison County, Montana
Sphingidae Larvae
For care of "found larvae/caterpillars" visit Manduca sexta larva, central Texas,
August 21, 2008, Trina Woodall.
Only ten Sphingidae species are listed for Montana on the BAMONA
website. Not all of the species are reported or anticipated in
Madison County (None are reported on BAMONA as of August 13, 2011).
It is hoped that this checklist, with the thumbnails
and notes, will help you quickly identify the larvae you are likely to
encounter.
A "WO" after the species name indicates that
I have no confirmed reports of this species in your county, but I
(William Oehlke) expect that this moth with its larvae are present or
might be present.
A "BAMONA" indicates the
moth is reported in Lepidoptera of North America,
#1. Distribution of Silkmoths (Saturniidae) and Hawkmoths (Sphingidae)
of Eastern North America,
an excellent little booklet available through Paul Opler.
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.
Please also report your sighting to BAMONA, an excellent online resource, via the links to the left or in the header.
Sphinginae subfamily
Sphingini tribe:
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Larvae hide in the day and feed primarily on cherry, plum, and apple
at night. Larvae have been found on Amelanchier nantuckensis
in Massachusetts and have been reared to pupation in Michigan on
Prunus serotina. Note purple oblique lines.
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Sphinx luscitiosa
WO,
the Canadian Sphinx or
Clemen's Sphinx
Larval hosts are willow
(Salix), poplar (Populus), birch (Betula),
apple (Malus), ash (Fraxinus), waxmyrtle
(Morella), and northern bayberry.
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| Larvae feed on the common snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus)
and on coralberry (S. orbiculatus). Note the two golden
lines of slightly raised bumps, one just behind the head, the other
on the thorax.
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Smerinthini Tribe:
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Pachysphinx modesta
WO,
the Modest Sphinx or Poplar Sphinx
Larvae feed on poplars and cottonwood.
The anal horn is greatly reduced in the final instar.
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Larvae feed on cottonwood and poplar (Populus) and willow
(Salix).
Larvae are very chunky with little to distinguish them
from Pachysphinx modesta.
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Larvae accept willows, birches, and cherries.
I have also found them in the wild on oak in eastern Canada.
Skin is quite granulous.
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Wild cherry species are the favorites as larval foodplants, but eggs
will also be deposited on birches and other forest trees.
There are varying degrees in the amount of red markings along the sides.
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Smerinthus cerisyi
WO,
Cerisy's Sphinx;
Cerisyi larvae greatly resemble modesta larvae, both being pale
green, with granular skin, pale lateral diagonal lines, faint red
spiracular circles, and very pale longitudinal lines running from the
head to a more pronounced anal diagonal line.
Larvae have green heads bounded dorsally with a pale yellow
inverted "V".
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Macroglossinae subfamily
Dilophonotini tribe:
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Hemaris diffinis
WO, the
Snowberry Clearwing or Bumblebee Moth
Larval host plants include Snowberry (Symphoricarpos),
honeysuckle (Lonicera), Coralberry, viburnums, Blue Dogbane
(Apocynum) and dwarf bush honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera).
Horn is black with a yellow base.
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Larval host plants include Snowberry (Symphoricarpos),
honeysuckle (Lonicera), Coralberry, viburnums, high bush cranberry and hawthorn (Crataegus).
Horn is black with a slightly lighter base. This western species was formerly classified as
H. diffinis or H. senta. Those species west of the Continental Divide are now classified as
H. thetis.
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Macroglossini tribe:
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Hyles euphorbiae
WO, Leafy Spurge Hawk Moth
Larvae feed on leafy spurge. Larvae are also conspicuously colored, with a
pronounced tail or "horn" near rear end.
Young larvae are variously patterned with green, yellow, and black;
older larvae have distinctive red, black, yellow, and white color
pattern. Mature larvae may approach 10 cm in length; when disturbed,
they regurgitate a slimy green liquid.
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Hyles gallii
WO, the Bedstraw Hawk Moth
or Gallium Sphinx
I suspect it is present.
Larvae come in black and in brown forms and often feed on
Epilobium (fireweed).
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Hyles lineata
WO, the White-lined Sphinx
Larvae are highly varied and feed on a great diversity of plants
including willow weed (Epilobium), four o'clock (Mirabilis),
apple (Malus), evening primrose (Oenothera), elm
(Ulmus), grape (Vitis), tomato (Lycopersicon),
purslane (Portulaca), and Fuschia.
All larvae seem, however, to have the red/black swellings split by
dorso-lateral lines.
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Larvae feed on willow weed (Epilobium) and possibly thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus).
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Enjoy some of nature's wonderments, giant silk moth cocoons.
These cocoons are for sale winter and fall. Beautiful Saturniidae moths will emerge the following spring and summer.
Read Actias luna rearing article.
Additional online help available.
Eggs of many North American species are offered during the spring and summer. Occasionally
summer Actias luna and summer Antheraea polyphemus cocoons are available. Shipping to US destinations is done
from with in the US.
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requests for identification help.
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