Created/dedicated as per personal communication with Melissa Rogers and Rogers family (Hyles lineata, Eumorpha achemon, Mesa), September, 2008
Updated as per James P. Tuttle's The Hawk Moths of North America, January 13, 2009
Updated as per personal communication with T. J. Robb (Manduca rustica, Chandler), October, 2009
Updated as per personal communication with Cynthia Kraft (Manduca sexta, Phoenix), October 19, 2011
Updated as per BAMONA, October 19, 2011
Updated as per personal communication with Christopher Seay regarding larva found by students of Vista Del Sur Traditional School, Laveen, Arizona; May 10, 2012

Maricopa County, Arizona
Sphingidae Larvae

Hyles lineata, fifth instar, Mesa, Maricopa Co., Arizona,
September 18, 2008, courtesy of Melissa Rogers and the Rogers family.

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

For care of "found larvae/caterpillars" visit Manduca sexta larva, central Texas, August 21, 2008, Trina Woodall.

This page is inspired by and dedicated to the Rogers family: Dace, Melissa, Benjamin, Breanna and Joshua. Melissa sent me the beautiful images of the Hyles lineata larva at the top of the page and of the Eumorpha achemon larva at the bottom of the page.

Melissa writes, "We were pulling some weeds in our back yard here in Mesa, Arizona, and came accross these two caterpillars. Could you identify them for us. They were muching on some weeds that had gotton out out of control."

I replied, "Melissa,

"The Sphinx larva with the anal horn is Hyles lineata, the White-lined Sphinx. It is a highly variable caterpillar of a species very common in Maricopa County. The hornless larva is that of Eumorpha achemon, the Achemon Sphinx."

The family was successful in getting the Hyles lineata larva to pupate. The adult moth depicted below emerged on November 15, 2008.

Hyles lineata, adult, Mesa, Maricopa Co., Arizona,
November 15, 2008, courtesy of Melissa Rogers and the Rogers family.

Hyles lineata, adult, Mesa, Maricopa Co., Arizona,
November 15, 2008, courtesy of Melissa Rogers and the Rogers family.
"What are you looking at!"

Thanks also to T.J. Robb who confirms Manduca rustica from Chandler. Images are posted via the link in the Manduca rustica sighting report.

Many thanks to Christopher Seay, Computer Associate / Technology Liaison, who sends the following image of a mature Sphinx chersis larva found by students of Vista Del Sur Traditional School in Laveen, Maricopa County, Arizona.

Sphinx chersis mature larva, Laveen, Maricopa County, Arizona, May 8, 2012,
courtesy of Christopher Seay and students of Vista Del Sur Traditional School.

For care of "found larvae/caterpillars" visit Manduca sexta larva, central Texas, August 21, 2008, Trina Woodall.

Fifty-nine Sphingidae species are listed for Arizona on the BAMONA website. Not all of the species are reported or anticipated in Maricopa County (seventeen are reported on BAMONA as of October 19, 2011). It is hoped that this checklist, with the thumbnails and notes, will help you quickly identify the caterpillars 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, although unreported. A "BAMONA" indicates the species is confirmed on BAMONA site.

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 forward your sightings to BAMONA, an excellent online resource.

Two of the species listed by BAMONA probably only occur as adult strays so you would not likely encounter their larvae, and they are not included below: Pachylia ficus (Fig sphinx); Xylophanes falco (Falcon sphinx).

Sphinginae subfamily

Sphingini tribe:

Agrius cingulata, BAMONA Pink-spotted Hawkmoth: 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. likely as an adult stray; unlikely in larval stage

Lintneria separatus WO?, the Separated Sphinx

Salvia greggii has been confirmed as a larval host by Robert A. Behrstock.
Jim Tuttle, tentative id, writes, "All of the penultimate instars of both Lintneria (Sphinx) istar and Lintneria (Sphinx) separatus that I have reared have been mundane green."

Manduca quinquemaculatus BAMONA, the 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). Most larvae are green, but there is also a very beautiful brown form to the left.

Manduca rustica BAMONA/TJR, the Rustic Sphinx
The caterpillar has numerous white nodules on top of the thorax and seven pairs of oblique, blue-gray stripes along the side of the body. The horn is white at the base and blue-gray at the tip. Many hosts are utilized.

Manduca rustica fifth instar, Chandler, October 8, 2009, courtesy of T. J. Robb.

Manduca sexta BAMONA/CK, 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).

Manduca sexta fifth innstars, Phoenix, October 19, 2011, Cynthia Kraft

Sagenosoma elsa WO?, the 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.

Sphinx asellus BAMONA, the Asella sphinx

Larval hosts are Manzanita and Arctostaphylos of the Ericaceae family. Look for a blue horn and strong purple colouration.

Sphinx chersis BAMONA, the 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.

Sphinx chersis mature larva, Laveen, May 8, 2012, Christopher Seay and students of Vista Del Sur Traditional School.

Smerinthini Tribe:

Pachysphinx occidentalis BAMONA, the Big Poplar Sphinx

Larvae feed on cottonwood and poplar (Populus) and willow (Salix).

Larvae are very chunky with little to distinguish them from Pachysphinx modesta.

Paonias myops WO?, the Small-eyed Sphinx

Wild cherry species are the favorites as larval foodplants, but eggs will also be deposited on birches and other forest trees.

To the left a second/third instar larva rests on pin cherry. The "red heart" marking readily identifies this species. generally more eastern species; possibly

Smerinthus cerisyi BAMONA, 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".

Smerinthus saliceti BAMONA, the Salicet Sphinx, flies in valleys and along streamsides from Mexico City north to west Texas, southern Arizona, and extreme southern California. There are two colour morphs, one a pale green and one lime green. Larvae feed on willow (Salix) or poplar (Populus).

Macroglossinae subfamily


Dilophonotini tribe:

Erinnyis crameri, the Cramer's Sphinx, BAMONA

Larvae feed on various plants in the dogbane family (Apocynaceae): Rauvolfia ligustrina, Rauvolfia tetraphylla, Stemmadenia obovata. There is also a brown form. likely as an adult stray; unlikely in larval stage.

Erinnyis ello BAMONA, the Ello Sphinx

Larvae feed on papaya (Carica papaya), Cnidoscolus angustidens, poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima), guava (Psidium species) and saffron plum (Bumelia angustifolia/Bumelia celastrina). Manilkara bahamensis, Willow Bustic (Bumelia salicifolia) and Painted Leaf (Poinsettia heterophylla) are also hosts.
Nice socks! Larvae show considerable variation.

Erinnyis obscura, the Obscure Sphinx, BAMONA
Larvae feed on Rauvolfia ligustrina, Rauvolfia tetraphylla, Stemmadenia obovata, Philibertia, Cynanchum, papaya (Carica papaya), Asclepiadaceae, Blepharodon mucronatum, White vine (Sarcostemma clausum) and Morrenia odorata.

Hemaris thetis BAMONA,

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.

Philampelini tribe:

Eumorpha achemon BAMONA/MR, the Achemon Sphinx

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.

Eumorpha achemon, Melissa Rogers (Rogers family), Mesa, September 18, 2008

Macroglossini tribe:

Hyles lineata BAMONA/MR, 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.

Hyles lineata, Melissa Rogers (Rogers family), Mesa, September 18, 2008

Eumorpha achemon, fifth instar, Mesa, Maricopa Co., Arizona,
September 18, 2008, courtesy of Melissa Rogers and the Rogers family.




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