Sphinginae subfamily
Sphingini tribe:
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Agrius cingulata,
BAMONA Pink-spotted hawkmoth. Occasional stray.
Larvae feed on plants in the Convolvulaceae family, especially Ipomoea batatas (sweet potato) and in the Solanaceae family,
especially (Datura) (jimsonweed) and related plants in the Americas. There is also a brown form. Look for very large, dark spiracular circles.
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Manduca quinquemaculatus
BAMONA,
Five-spotted Hawkmoth.
The caterpillars are called Tomato Hornworms and each has a black horn at the end of the abdomen.
Larvae feed on potato, tobacco, tomato, and other plants in the
nightshade family (Solanaceae). There is also a very beautiful brown form. See bottom of page.
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Manduca sexta
BAMONA, the Carolina Sphinx
Tobacco Hornworms, equipped with a red-tipped horn at the end of the
abdomen, are true gluttons and feed on tobacco and tomato, and
occasionally potato and pepper crops and other plants in the
nightshade family (Solanaceae).
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Sagenosoma elsa
BAMONA, Elsa Sphinx. Larval hosts are unknown, but larvae probably feed on Lycium
in the nightshade family (Solanaceae).Note the strong oblique black lines and the black anal horn.
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This species is not recorded in Wayne County, and would be unlikely.
It flies in pinyon-juniper woodland and similar arid situations in
Colorado (specimen type locality) and Nevada, Utah,
Arizona and New Mexico. |
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Sphinx chersis
BAMONA/NH, Great Ash Sphinx.
The larvae are pale bluish green. The head has a pair of yellow
lateral bands meeting at the apex.
Larval hosts are ash, lilac, privet, cherry, and quaking aspen.
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Sphinx chersis, St. George, September 20, 2017, Nikki Hardman
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Sphinx drupiferarum
BAMONA,
Wild Cherry Sphinx.
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 from eggs readily oviposited by a female.
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This species is not reported for Wayne County but may be present.
It flies in arid brushlands and desert foothills. |
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Sphinx perelegans
BAMONA, Elegant Sphinx;
Larva has a shield on first thoracic segment, which is of same colour as body and which forms a
tight-fitting hood over vertex of head, hiding a pair of
glossy black spots on top of head, which are revealed if animal is disturbed.
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Sphinx vashti
BAMONA,
the Snowberry Sphinx
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
BAMONA,
the Modest Sphinx or Poplar Sphinx.
Larvae feed on poplars and cottonwood. More likely occidentalis in Utah
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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.
The skin of the mature larva has a very grainy appearance.
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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
BAMONA,
Cerisy's Sphinx;
Greatly resemble modesta larvae, pale
green, with granular skin, pale lateral diagonal lines, faint red
spiracular circles, very pale longitudinal lines running from
head to more pronounced anal diagonal line.
Green heads bounded dorsally with a pale yellow inverted "V".
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Smerinthus ophthalmica
BAMONA
Resemble cerisyi larvae, both being pale
green, with granular skin, pale lateral diagonal lines, faint red
spiracular circles, very pale longitudinal lines running from
head to more pronounced anal diagonal line.
Green heads bounded dorsally with pale yellow inverted "V". Note blue horn.
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Macroglossinae subfamily
Dilophonotini Tribe:
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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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Philampelini Tribe:
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Larvae feed upon Grape (Vitis), Virginia Creeper
(Parthenocissus quinquefolia) and other vines and ivies
(Ampelopsis).
Larvae occur in both a light (green) form and a darker (tan/brown)
form. Note six "segmented" oblique lines.
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Macroglossini Tribe:
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Euproserpinus wiesti
WO, Wiest's Primrose Sphinx.
Flies during the day, over sand washes and prairie
blow-outs as a single brood from May-June. Larvae feed on prairie primrose (Oenothera latifolia) in the evening primrose family (Onagraceae).
Trying to rear in captivity has proven difficult. Larvae seem to need sunshine, heat and humidity.
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Hyles lineata
BAMONA, 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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