Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania
Sphingidae

Hemaris thysbe, Jefferson Township, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania,
July 17, 2010, courtesy of Cathy Strackbein.

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 dedicated to and inspired by Cathy Strackbein who reports Hemaris thysbe, as per image top of page, in Lackawana County, July 17, 2010.

Fifty Sphingidae species are listed for Pennsylvania on the U.S.G.S. website. Not all of the species are reported or anticipated in Lackawanna County (four are reported on U.S.G.S. as of July 18, 2010). It is hoped that this checklist, with the thumbnails and notes, will help you quickly identify the moths you are likely to encounter.

A "WO" after the species name indicates that I (William Oehlke) expect that this moth is present or might be present.

A "USGS" indicates the moth is reported on the USGS website and/or 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.

Sphinginae subfamily Sphingini tribe: Ceratomia amyntor, The Elm Sphinx or Four-horned Sphinx, WO, 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 undulosa WO, 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. The upperside of the hindwing is gray with diffuse darker bands. Dolba hyloeus WO, 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 WO, 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. Lintneria eremitus WO, 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 quinquemaculatus WO, 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. Manduca sexta WO, 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. Paratrea plebeja WO, 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 USGS, Sphinx canadensis, the Canadian Sphinx, is not common, and is not often reported anywhere, but it is reported in Lackawanna County. Larval hosts are white ash (Fraxinus americana) and blueberry (Vaccinium). Sphinx chersis WO, 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. Larval hosts are ash, lilac, privet, cherry, and quaking aspen. Sphinx drupiferarum WO, the Wild Cherry Sphinx Forewings, long and slender, are held close to the body when the moth is at rest. Larvae are beautiful and feed on cherry foliage. Sphinx gordius WO, 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 WO, 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. Sphinx luscitiosa WO, the Canadian Sphinx or Clemen's Sphinx The upperside of the forewing is yellowish gray in males and pale gray with a faint yellow tint in females. In both sexes, the dark border on the outer margin widens as it approaches the inner margin. Sphinx poecila WO, the Poecila Sphinx If you have blueberries in the woods, then you probably have the Poecila Sphinx. They are pretty common here on Prince Edward Island, but don't fly too far south of Massachusetts, being replaced by Sphinx gordius in Connecticut. possibility in northern PA Smerinthini Tribe: Amorpha juglandis WO, 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. Patterns range from faint to pronounced. Pachysphinx modesta WO, the 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. WO, the Huckleberry Sphinx This appears to be an uncommon species but may be present in Lackawanna County. Paonias excaecata WO, the 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 Lackawanna County. I regularly see them on Prince Edward Island, and they are reported as far south as Florida. Paonias myops WO, the Small-eyed Sphinx Named for the small eye-spot in the hindwing, this moth has a wide distribution and is probably common in Lackawanna County. I regularly see them on Prince Edward Island, and they are reported as far south as Florida. Smerinthus cerisyi WO, the Cerisyi's Sphinx At my home in Montague, P.E.I., Canada, they are quite common. I expect they might also be present in Lacawanna County, but that would be near southern range border in PA. Smerinthus jamaicensis WO, the 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. Hemaris thysbe USGS/CS, 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 thysbe, Jefferson Township, July 17, 2010, Cathy Strackbein. Hemaris diffinis WO, the Snowberry Clearwing or Bumblebee Moth Adults mimic bumblebees and are quite variable, both geographically and seasonally. The thorax is golden-brown to dark greenish-brown. The abdomen tends to be dark (black) with 1-2 yellow segments just before the terminal end. Hemaris gracilis USGS, 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 WO, the Achemon Sphinx Adults nectar from flowers of Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), petunia (Petunia hybrida), mock orange (Philadelphus coronarius), and phlox (Phlox). If you have Grape or Virginia Creeper nearby, then you probably have this species. Eumorpha pandorus USGS, the Pandorus Sphinx If you have Grape or Virginia Creeper nearby, then you probably have this species. Macroglossini tribe: Amphion floridensis WO, 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 WO, the Azalea Sphinx They are common in Pennsylvania and common here on Prince Edward Island. You will often see this species listed as Darapsa pholus, especially in older literature. Hindwings are the same colour as the abdomen. Darapsa myron WO, 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. Darapsa versicolor WO, the Hydrangea Sphinx If you have hydrangea growing near a stream, then you may have the Hydrangea Sphinx. If it is present, it probably is not common. Deidamia inscriptum WO, the Lettered Sphinx This small species flies in the early spring. Grape (Vitis), ampelopsis (Ampelopsis), and Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus) all serve as larval hosts. Hyles gallii WO, the Bedstraw Hawk Moth or Gallium Sphinx Hyles lineata WO, 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 WO, 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. Xylophanes tersa WO, the Tersa Sphinx This moth is much more common to the south. It is a strong migrant, however, and might be seen as an adult in Lackawanna County. I doubt it would overwinter there.

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