CERATOMIA UNDULOSA, THE WAVED SPHINX

Ceratomia undulosa photo courtesy of Paul A. Opler

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

DISTRIBUTION:

The "Waved Sphinx", Ceratomia undulosa, is found in Canada from Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia westward to eastern Alberta. In the U.S. it ranges from Maine to Florida westward to the eastern Great Plains.

FLIGHT TIMES:

Here on P.E.I. and in the northern portions of its range, the single brooded Waved sphinx adults generally fly late June to early July. From New Jersey southward and westward there are often two or more broods with as many as six peak flight times in Louisiana beginning in early April, repeating at roughly 30 day intervals.

Both sexes come in to lights and females readily oviposit in paper grocery bags.

ECLOSION:

SCENTING AND MATING

Female Ceratomia undulosa extend a scent gland from the posterior of the abdomen to lure in the night flying males.

EGGS, LARVAE, PUPAE:

Undulosa eggs are pale green and of medium size with incubation lasting about eight days. Larvae prefer ash but do well on privet and lilac (which I use here). Larvae pupate readily in artificial conditions: Closed container with loose paper towelling in bottom, kept in the dark at 70-75 degrees F. Pupae are shiny, smooth, and chestnut coloured.

Photo courtesy of David L. Wagner.

Although tongue length is listed at 9.8 mm in W. E. Miller's "Diversity and Evolution of Tongue Length in Hawkmoths (Sphingidae)" in 1997 Number 1, Volume 51 issue of Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society, my recollection is that the tongue length exceeds 30 mm as I recall feeding a female a sugar/water/honey solution summer of 1997 in New Jersey.

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