The Sphingidae of North Dakota

Below the tables of scientific names, there is a listing of common names.

This list has been verified via the listing at
http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/ndsu/ndmoths/photo_gallerylist.htm#Sphingidae,
created and maintained by Dr. Gerald Fauske, collections manager, North Dakota State Insect Reference collection, NDSU, Fargo, ND. Distribution maps are available on site.

North Dakota is a transition state where many of the species common to the eastern United States have the end of their range in eastern North Dakota and some of the western species begin to appear in western N.D.. Dr. Fauske indicates the Manduca species, from further south, do not overwinter, and the single sighting of M. sexta is probably from a lab escapee. He also indicates the single record for E. anchemolus is based on a specimen that came in on some bananas, and the Erinnyis sightings are of strays.

* On the other hand, James P. Tuttle, on the distribution maps in his The Hawk Moths of North America, 2007, indicates Manduca quinquemaculatus ranges throughout the state. I have not received many larval images from North Dakota so cannot comment on possibility of breeding populations within North Dakota. The Sphingidae are strong fliers and often adult specimens are taken where there are no overwintering populations. There are many inconsistencies between the data from Tuttle and Fauske. I have indicated the distributions below based on Tuttle's work. Certainly the information on Dr. Fauske's website should also be consulted as he is the resident expert.

Dr. Fauske writes, "Hemaris gracilis does not occur in ND. The [error] is based on misdetermined H. thysbe from gardening materials brought into ND from WI. These are H. thysbe (which are in the NDSIRC) and represent a different morphotype (Tuttle Plate 5, fig. 15) than the local thysbe populations (Hodges Plate 10, figs. 17, 18) but are definitely not H. gracilis. In Hodge's key, they run to thysbe. The [erroneous] H. senta records for ND are based on material donated to the NDSIRC and AMNH by Emil Krauth. He put 'possession labels' on all of his specimens such that all manner of local and exotic leps have Hebron, ND labels. These are not locality labels. Krauth's true locality data can be found (when he bothered to do such things) on the obverse side of the possession labels or on the Hebron side hand written in India ink. Even then, he did not always put a location, and just as often, he wrote Hebron ND and a collection date on the printed Hebron labels! Anyway, the H. senta represent such 'possession label' specimens."

Based on Dr. Fauske's comments, I include neither H. senta nor H. gracilis on the North Dakota list.

Go to a County by County Distribution Map

Individual county checklists, adult moths, for western North Dakota: Counties will be completed as sightings arrive. Currently only those in red are active.

Divide Renville Golden Valley Bowman

Burke Bottineau Billings Slope Morton

William Ward Dunn Stark Grant

McKenzie McHenry Mercer Hettinger Sioux

Mountrail McLean Oliver Adams

Individual county checklists, adult moths, for eastern North Dakota: Counties will be completed as sightings arrive. Currently only those in red are active.

Rolette Cavalier Sheridan Eddy Barnes Emmons

Pierce Pembina Burleigh Foster Cass Logan

Towner Walsh Wells Griggs Ransom McIntosh

Benson Nelson Kudder Steele Sargent Lamoure

Ramsey Grand Forks Stutsman Traill Richland Dickey

Individual county checklists, larvae, for western North Dakota: Counties will be completed as sightings arrive. Currently only those in red are active.

Divide Renville Golden Valley Bowman

Burke Bottineau Billings Slope Morton

William Ward Dunn Stark Grant

McKenzie McHenry Mercer Hettinger Sioux

Mountrail McLean Oliver Adams

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

Rolette Cavalier Sheridan Eddy Barnes Emmons

Pierce Pembina Burleigh Foster Cass Logan

Towner Walsh Wells Griggs Ransom McIntosh

Benson Nelson Kudder Steele Sargent Lamoure

Ramsey Grand Forks Stutsman Traill Richland Dickey

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