Updated as per James P. Tuttle's The Hawk Moths of North America, August 31, 2008

The Sphingidae of South Dakota


Amphion floridensis moth courtesy of Bill Oehlke.

Click on one of the Scientific names to see images and access information. N.B., the files are not linked back to this page. To return to this index, simply use your browser back button.

I suspect there remain quite a few species present but unlisted on this page. See Clay County list (accessed at bottom of this page).

Many thanks to Tom Midagh (TM) for the data he has contributed.

Most species have breeding populations throughout (T) the state. H. euphorbiae seems to be expanding (EXP) its range and probably soon will be found throughout the state.

Sphinginae subfamily

Sphingini Tribe:

Ceratomia amyntor T
Ceratomia undulosa T
Lintneria eremitus XE
Manduca quinquemaculatus T TM
Sphinx chersis T
Sphinx drupiferarum T
Sphinx luscitiosa W 1/3
Sphinx vashti T

Smerinthini Tribe:

Amorpha juglandis E 5/6
Pachysphinx modesta T
Pachysphinx occidentalis XSW
Paonias excaecata T
Paonias myops T
Smerinthus cerisyi XN & NW 1/8
Smerinthus jamaicensis T

Macroglossinae subfamily

Dilophonotini Tribe:mm

Hemaris diffinis T
Hemaris thysbe T

Philampelini tribe:mm

Eumorpha achemon E 5/6

Macroglossini Tribe:

Amph. floridensis SE 2/3
Darapsa myron ab XNW
Dei. inscriptum NE 3/5
H. euphorbiae EXP TM
Hyles gallii NW 2/3
Hyles lineata T
Proserpinus juanita T
Sphec. abbottii NE 1/3 TM

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Common Names

Four-horned or Elm Sphinx (Ceratomia amyntor)
Waved Sphinx (Ceratomia undulosa)
Hermit Sphinx (Lintneria eremitus)
Five-spotted hawkmoth (Manduca quinquemaculatus)
Great Ash Sphinx (Sphinx chersis)
Wild Cherry Sphinx (Sphinx drupiferarum)
Clemens' Sphinx (Sphinx luscitiosa)
Snowberry Sphinx (Sphinx vashti)

Walnut Sphinx (Amorpha juglandis)
Modest Sphinx (Pachysphinx modesta)
Big poplar Sphinx (Pachysphinx occidentalis)
Blinded Sphinx (Paonias excaecata)
Small-eyed Sphinx (Paonias myops)
One-eyed Sphinx (Smerinthus cerisyi)
Twin-spotted Sphinx (Smerinthus jamaicenis)

Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris diffinis)
Hummingbird Clearwing (Hemaris thysbe)

Achemon Sphinx (Eumorpha achemon)

Nessus Sphinx (Amphion floridensis)
Virginia Creeper Sphinx (Darapsa myron)
Lettered Sphinx (Deidamia inscriptum)
Leafy Spurge Hawkmoth (Hyles euphorbiae)
Bedstraw Hawkmoth (Hyles gallii)
White-lined Sphinx (Hyles lineata)
Juanita Sphinx (Proserpinus juanita)
Abbott's Sphinx (Sphecodina abbottii)

On July 25, 2006, I received this email note from Tom Middagh: "Thought you might be interested. Just got back from a little bug hunting in Vermillion, South Dakota, July 21 and 22, right on the Missouri River. We set up a light for a couple nights. I was surprised to see five Hyles euphorbiae come in and sit on the sheet. I thought they were gallium but different. When I got home, I had a chance to take a closer look at the specimens and IDed them as H. euphorbiae." Tom also reports the following recent Sphingidae sightings from Clay County:
M. quinquemaculata
S. abbottii (July 4, common)
S. jamaicensis
H. lineata

Hyles euphorbiae, courtesy of Tom Middagh.

In addition Tom has comfirmed many of the other species on the Clay County checklist accessed below.

Individual county checklists for south eastern South Dakota: Counties will be completed as sightings arrive. Currently only those in red are active.

Buffalo
Miner
Charles Mix
Turner

Jerauld
Lake
Douglas
Lincoln

Sanborn
Moody
Davison
Bon Homme

Brule
McCook
Hanson
Yankton

Aurora
Minnehaha
Hutchinson
Clay
Union

Smerinthus cerisyi reported Custer County, June 22, 2007, by Zana Goulding.