Montgomery County, Ohio
Sphingidae

Eumorpha pandorus, courtesy of Tim Dyson.

This site has been created by Bill Oehlke at oehlkew@islandtelecom.com
Comments, suggestions and/or additional information/sightings are welcomed by Bill.

This page is inspired by and dedicated to Stephanie Thomas of Vandalia, Ohio. Stephanie recently sent me a sighting report for Eumorpha pandorus

Thirty-three Sphingidae species are listed for Ohio on the U.S.G.S. website. Nine additional species are reported by Rick Ruggles and/or Eric Metzler.

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.

Sphinginae subfamily Sphingini tribe: Agrius cingulata,Pink-spotted hawkmoth, stray This moth is a very strong flier, but would only make its way to Montgomery County as a rare stray. 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. 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 larvae feed in large groups and are much more spectacular than the moths. Catalpa is the larval host. Ceratomia hageni, Hagen's Sphinx or Osage Orange Sphinx Larvae feed on osage orange (Maclura pomifera). 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. Note black and white collar separating thorax from abdomen. 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. unlikely, generally more northerly 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 This species has been recorded in Fairfield County. 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 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, 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. If you grow tomatoes, you have probably encountered it. Manduca rustica, the Rustic Sphinx Look for three large yellow spots on each side of the abdomen. 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. Larvae get very large and can strip a tomato plant. 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. Sphinx canadensis, Sphinx canadensis, the Canadian Sphinx, is not common, and is not often reported anywhere. Larval hosts are white ash (Fraxinus americana) and blueberry (Vaccinium). 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. Sphinx drupiferarum, the Wild Cherry Sphinx This species is not officially recorded, but I suspect it is present. We have them on P.E.I., but I do not see them nearly as frequently as I see the other Sphingidae. Sphinx franckii, Franck's Sphinx Moth Generally it is not widely reported anywhere. Similar to S. kalmiae but lacks the dark bar along the fw inner margin. unlikely 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, 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. Pachysphinx modesta, the Modest Sphinx or Poplar Sphinx This moth has a large, heavy body, and females can be remarkably plump. Generally found more to the north. Paonias astylus, the Huckleberry Sphinx Paonias astylus, the Huckleberry Sphinx (wingspan 55-65 mm), ranges from Maine south to Florida, west to Missouri and Mississippi. It tends to be uncommon. Paonias excaecata, the Blinded Sphinx Named for the dull grey-blue spot in the hindwing, this moth has a wide distribution and is probably common in Hartford County. I regularly see them on Prince Edward Island, and they are reported as far south as Florida. Paonias myops, the Small-eyed Sphinx Named for the small eye-spot in the hindwing, this moth has a wide distribution and is probably common in Hartford County. I regularly see them on Prince Edward Island, and they are reported as far south as Florida. Smerinthus jamaicensis, the Twin-spotted Sphinx This moth is widely distributed and fairly common. Along the East Coast, it flies from P.E.I. to Florida, with many reports from Kentucky and Michigan. Macroglossinae subfamily Dilophonotini tribe: Erinnyis ello, the Ello Sphinx This species is not reported in Hamilton, but it might make an appearance as a rare stray. Males and females differ. Hemaris thysbe, the Hummingbird Clearwing This interesting day flier is not confirmed in Hamilton, but is widely reported to the north, east and west. They are widely distributed in the east from P.E.I. to Florida, from Alabama to Michigan. Hemaris diffinis, the Snowberry Clearwing or Bumblebee Moth This moth is widespread, but it has not been officially recorded in Hamilton. It has been confirmed in nearby counties and states. Philampelini tribe: Eumorpha achemon, the Achemon Sphinx This moth is not officially reported for Hamilton, but has been reported to north, east, south and west. Note the differences between this moth and the Pandorus Sphinx. Eumorpha fasciata, the Banded Sphinx This moth is not officially reported for Hamilton, however, the moth is a strong flier and occasionally moths and larvae turn up as very rare strays in northern communities. Eumorpha pandorus ST, the Pandorus Sphinx If you have Grape or Virginia Creeper nearby, then you probably have this species. I often get reports of larvae from outside the reported range. Eumorpha pandorus, Vandalia, July 10, 2011, Stephanie Thomas Macroglossini tribe: Amphion floridensis, the Nessus Sphinix This day flier is widely distributed. If you have Virginia Creeper, you probably have the Nessus Sphinx. It is reported from Richmond. Two bright, distinct, narrow yellow bands are often visible on the abdomen. Darapsa choerilus, the Azalea Sphinx They are common in New Jersey and common here on Prince Edward Island, and they are probably common in Montgomery Co.. You will often see this species listed as Darapsa pholus, especially in older literature. Darapsa myron, the Virginia Creeper Sphinx or the Grapevine Sphinx. If you have the foodplants indicated in the common names, you probably have this species nearby. Darapsa versicolor, the Hydrangea Sphinx If you have hydrangea growing near a stream, then you may have the Hydrangea Sphinx. It has not been reported in Montgomery County, but I suspect it is present, but probably uncommon. 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 This species has strong migrating tendancies from much further south. There are records from New Hampshire, Maine, Michigan, Illinois, etc. 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 is a popular larval host. I have taken it is Pottersville. Xylophanes tersa, the Tersa Sphinx This moth is much more common to the south. It is a strong migrant, however. It may stray to Montgomery County.

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