Updated as per James P. Tuttle's The Hawk Moths of North America, August 30, 2008

The Sphingidae of Nevada

Pachysphinx occidentalis (pale form) by William A. Harding.

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Nevada ony has six Sphingidae species that have recognized breeding populations throughout (T) the state. Many species have more limited breeding areas, such as Manduca sexta whose larvae have only been encountered in the southeastern one-sixth (SE 1/6) of the state. Hemaris diffinis larvae have been observed in the extreme northwestern (XNW) parts of the state and in the extreme southeastern (XSE) parts of Nevada, while Hemaris senta has breeding populations in all but (ab) the areas inhabited by H. diffinis. James P. Tuttle recognizes that H. diffinis and H. senta may represent forms of the same species, or that there may be several different species involved in that group.

There are some species listed as strays, indicating that adult moths are sometimes taken in Nevada, but there do not appear to be any overwintering or breeding populations.

Sphinginae subfamily

Sphingini tribe:

Manduca quinquemaculata Twwwnwwwwwwwwwwwww
Manduca sexta SE 1/6
Sagenosoma elsa stray
Sphinx asellus SE 3/4
Sphinx chersis S 2/3
Sphinx dollii SE 3/4
Sphinx drupiferarum CW 1/8
Sphinx libocedrus XSE
Sphinx perelegans XW stray
Sphinx sequoiae XW stray
Sphinx vashti T

Smerinthini Tribe:

Pachysphinx modesta NE 1/8
Pachysphinx occidentalis T
Paonias myops T
Smerinthus cerisyi T







Macroglossinae subfamily

Dilophonotini tribe:nn

Erinnyis ello stray
Hemaris diffinis XNW, XSE
Hemaris senta ab above

Philampelini tribe:m

Eumorpha achemon XSE

Macroglossini tribe:

E. wiesti ab NE 1/8 & S 1/4
Eup. phaeton stray, if at all
Hyles lineata T
Pro. clarkiae N 1/5, W 1/5

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Individual notes for Nevada counties:

Washoe
Humboldt
Elko

Storey
Pershing
White Pine

Carson City
Churchill
Nye

Douglas
Lander
Lincoln
Mineral

Lyon
Eureka
Clark
Esmeralda

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