Aellopos titan, Gratiot Lake Conservancy, Mohawk, Keweenaw County, Michigan,
at the Lizzadro Preserve on the shore of Lake Superior,
June, 29, 2013, courtesy of Jim Hay, via Bonnie Hay.

Aellopos titan, Gratiot Lake Conservancy, Mohawk, Keweenaw County, Michigan,
at the Lizzadro Preserve on the shore of Lake Superior,
June, 29, 2013, courtesy of Jim Hay, via Bonnie Hay.

Occasionally Aellopos titan is encountered in the northern United States in early to late fall, and such sightings are usually attributed to moths being displaced or greatly aided in flight distances by hurricane force winds. The moth depicted above, in very good shape, is quite a surprise for so far north so early in the summer.

Perhaps the recent tornados and strong windstorms, or extreme heat further south, have encouraged a migration or allowed for great displacement.

There is also a possibility of a pupa being unwittingly imported in soil of a purchased plant from further south.

Bonnie writes, "I am curious to know if it is breeding here, or if it has blown in as some migrating birds do who are blown off course (we are on a major spring bird migration route)."

I (Bill Oehlke) reply, I do not think there are breeding populations north of the extreme southern US states. Wind assistance would be my first guess at an explanation.

Bonnie Hay is the Program Director of the Gratiot Lake Conservancy.

P.O. Box 310
Mohawk , MI 49950
Phone: 906-337-5476
Website: http://www.gratiotlakeconservancy.org

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

TAXONOMY: Family: Sphingidae, Latreille, 1802 Subfamily: Macroglossinae, Harris, 1839 Tribe: Dilophonotini, Burmeister, 1878 Genus: Aellopos Hubner, [1819] ........... Species: titan Cramer, 1777

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