Sphinginae subfamily
Sphingini tribe:
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Agrius cingulata, Pink-spotted Hawkmoth 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). |
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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), 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 and the upperside of the hindwing is yellowish brown with obscure lines. |
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Ceratomia undulosa, Waved Sphinx. The upperside of the forewing is pale brownish gray with wavy
black and white lines and a black-outlined white cell spot. |
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Dolba hyloeus, 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, 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, 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 forewing is gray-brown with wavy lines, black dashes, and one or two small white spots near the center of the costa. |
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Manduca jasminearum, 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, 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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Paratrea plebeja, 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. |
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Sphinx chersis, Northern Ash Sphinx; Great Ash Sphinx. 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, Wild Cherry Sphinx. Sphinx drupiferarum larvae hide in the day and feed
primarily on cherry, plum, and apple at night. |
 | 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; the boundary between these two areas is marked
with a series of dark diagonal streaks. |
 | 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, 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, 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. Female is different. |
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Pachysphinx modesta, Modest Sphinx or Poplar Sphinx.
This moth has a large, heavy body, and females can be remarkably plump.
Larvae are fond of poplars and willows. |
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Paonias astylus, Huckleberry Sphinx.
This appears to be an uncommon species. Blueberry and huckleberry (Vaccinium), cherries (Prunus) and willows (Salix) are
the favorites as larval foodplants. |
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Paonias excaecata, Blinded Sphinx.
Named for the dull grey-blue spot (minus dark pupil) in the hindwing, this moth has a wide distribution and is probably common in your county.
I regularly see them on Prince Edward Island, and they are reported as far south as Florida. |
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Paonias myops, Small-eyed Sphinx.
Named for the small eye-spot in the hindwing, this moth has a wide distribution
and is common in your county. I regularly see them on Prince Edward Island, and they are reported as far south as Florida. |
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Smerinthus jamaicensis, Twin-spotted Sphinx.
This moth is widely distributed and fairly common. Along the East Coast, it flies from P.E.I. to Florida. |
Macroglossinae subfamily
Dilophonotini tribe:
See Hemaris comparison to help distinguish the next three species.
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Hemaris thysbe, 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 or Bumblebee Moth.
Adults mimic bumblebees and are quite variable. 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, 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. |
Philampelini tribe:
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Eumorpha achemon, Achemon Sphinx.
Adults nectar from flowers of Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), petunia (Petunia hybrida), mock orange
(Philadelphus coronarius), and phlox (Phlox). Note the differences between this moth and the Pandorus Sphinx. |
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Eumorpha fasciatus Bug Guide, stray from further south into Monmouth County, Banded Sphinx.
Dark pinkish brown. Each forewing has lighter brown band along costa, sharp pinkish white bands and
streaks. Primrose-willow, Ludwigia (water primrose), other plants in evening primrose family.
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Eumorpha pandorus, the Pandorus Sphinx.
If you have Grape or Virginia Creeper nearby, then you probably have
this species. |
Macroglossini tribe:
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Amphion floridensis, 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, 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. |
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Darapsa myron, Virginia Creeper Sphinx or the Grapevine Sphinx.
The forewing upperside is dark brown to pale yellowish gray, with an olive tint. This species was quite common in rural New Jersey where
the forewing color contained more green than described above. |
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Darapsa versicolor, Hydrangea Sphinx.
The forewing upperside is often greenish brown (photo to right) with curved dark lines and pinkish-white patches. |
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Deidamia inscriptum, 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. |
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Hyles lineata, 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, 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, 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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