The Sphingidae of Saskatchewan
Adult Moths

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This website is designed and maintained by Bill Oehlke. Please send sightings (date, location, species) and/or images to Bill.

This page is dedicated to and inspired by Karen Edwards, Marnie Kay-Macmillan, Dave Fries and Doug Freestone, all of whom have sent me Sphingidae larval images from Saskatchewan.

To aid with adult moth identifications this thumbnail checklist has been created (January 7, 2011).

Many thanks to Derek Bridgehouse who provides the following image, comparing Sphinx poecila to Sphinx luscitiosa, and confirming luscitiosa in Saskatchewan.

Sphinx poecila and Sphinx luscitiosa Saskatchewa, courtesy of Derek Bridgehouse.

Sphinginae subfamily Sphingini tribe: Ceratomia amyntor DF, Elm/Four-horned Sphinx. Forewing brown with dark brown and white markings including white costal area near wing base, dark streaks along veins, and white spot in cell. Hindwing is light brown with dark brown band along outer margin. Ceratomia amyntor larva, Doug Freestone Ceratomia undulosa WO?, Waved Sphinx. The upperside of the forewing is pale brownish gray with wavy black and white lines and a black-outlined white cell spot. Lapara bombycoides WO?, Northern Pine Sphinx. The upperside of the forewing is gray with heavy black bands. The upperside of the hindwing is brownish gray with no markings. If you have pines, you probably have this species. It also flies on P.E.I. Manduca quinquemaculatus WO?, Five-spotted Hawkmoth. Abdomen usually has five but sometimes six pairs of yellow bands. Forewing upperside blurry brown & gray. I suspect if you grow tomatoes, you are likely to encounter it. Sphinx chersis WO?, Northern Ash Sphinx/Great Ash Sphinx Forewing upperside soft dark gray to blue-gray with series of black dashes, one of which reaches wing tip. Sphinx drupiferarum WO?, Wild Cherry Sphinx. Forewings, long and slender, are held close to body when moth is at rest. Similar to Sphinx vashti. Sphinx gordius WO?, probably poecila, Apple Sphinx. The upperside of the forewing ranges from brown with black borders through brownish gray with paler borders to pale gray with no borders. Sphinx kalmiae WO?, Laurel Sphinx. Lower forewings predominantly brownish-yellow with fairly wide dark bar along inner margin. At rest wings hug body, giving the moth a long slender look. Sphinx luscitiosa WO?/DB, Canadian Sphinx/Clemen's Sphinx. FW upperside yellowish gray in males, pale gray with faint yellow tint in females. In both sexes, dark border on outer margin widens as it approaches inner margin. HW upperside deep yellow in males, pale yellow in females; both with wide black border. Sphinx poecila WO?, Poecila Sphinx. If you have blueberries in the woods, then you probably have the Poecila Sphinx. They are probably widespread throughout Wisconsin, but are very much under reported. Sphinx vashti WO?, Snowberry Sphinx. Adults fly as a single brood in montane woodlands & along prairie streamcourses from April to August. Forewing upperside has narrow black subterminal line bordered by white inverted V-shaped line on outside, and black line at apex. Smerinthini Tribe: Amorpha juglandis WO?? questionable, Walnut Sphinx. Adults highly variable; sometimes wings of an individual may be all one color or may have several colors, ranging from pale to dark brown, and may have a white or pink tinge. See file for female; she is different. Paonias excaecata WO?, Blinded Sphinx. Forewing outer margin quite wavy. There is dark cell spot and dark oblique line mid wing from costa almost to inner margin. Basic ground colour pinkish brown. Flight would be June-July. Paonias myops WO?, the Small-eyed Sphinx This species ranges across North America. The hindwings have a small blue eyespot ringed with black on a yellow background. Pachysphinx modesta WO?, the Modest Sphinx or Poplar Sphinx, Hindwings are reddish purple with dark blue near anal angle. They are a heavy bodied species. Smerinthus cerisyi WO?, the Cerisyi's Sphinx or One-eyed Sphinx, Larvae feed on poplars and willows. Flight would be from late May-July as a single brood. Smerinthus opthalmica MPNw Larvae feed on poplars, aspen & willows. Note different shape of double arced forewing pm line compared to the straighter pm line of cerisyi, directly above. S. ophthalmica has smoother scalloping of the fw outer margin. Smerinthus jamaicensis WO?, Twin-spotted Sphinx. Smerinthus jamaicensis closely resembles Smerinthus cerisyi, but jamaicensis is much smaller with larger blue patches on more vibrant & deeper purple in lower wings. Macroglossinae subfamily Dilophonotini Tribe: See Hemaris comparison to help distinguish the next three species. Hemaris diffinis WO?, Snowberry Clearwing or Bumblebee Moth. The moth flies along forest edges and in meadows, gardens and brushy fields. Day-flying adults nectar at lantana, dwarf bush honeysuckle, snowberry, orange hawkweed, thistles, lilac, Canada violet, etc. Hemaris gracilis WO?, The Slender Clearwing or Graceful Clearwing This day flier is not commonly reported. Hemaris thysbe WO?, Hummingbird Clearwing It is not difficult to see why many gardeners would mistake an Hemaris thysbe moth for a small hummingbird as it hovers, sipping nectar from flowers through a long feeding tube. Philampelini tribe: Eumorpha achemon KE, Achemon Sphinx. Reported for Ontario, and it is fairly often reported along the east coast from southern New Jersey to central Maine. Note the differences between this moth and the Pandorus Sphinx. Eumorpha achemon larva, Karen Edwards Macroglossini Tribe: Amphion floridensis WO?, Nessus Sphinix. This day flier is widely distributed. If you have Virginia Creeper, you might have the Nessus Sphinx. Two bright, distinct, narrow yellow bands are often visible on the abdomen. Darapsa choerilus WO?, Azalea Sphinx. They are common in New Jersey and common here on Prince Edward Island. You will often see this species listed as Darapsa pholus, especially in older literature. Hyles euphorbiae WO?, Spurge Hawk Moth Body light brown with various white and dark brown markings, while the wings have conspicuous tan, brown, and pink or red color pattern. Hyles euphorbiae larva, Zehner (12 miles NE of Regina), Dave Fries Hyles euphorbiae larva, Swift Current, Marnie Kay-Macmillan Hyles gallii WO?, Bedstraw Hawk Moth or Gallium Sphinx. I suspect it is present. Some years I see them on P.E.I., some years, I do not. Hyles lineata WO?, White-lined Sphinx. Adults usually fly at dusk, at night, and at dawn, but they also fly during the day over a wide variety of open habitats including deserts, suburbs, & gardens. Proserpinus flavofasciata WO?, Yellow-banded Day Sphinx, Adults fly from April-June in meadows in coniferous forests. Adults fly during the afternoon, nectaring from lilac, dandelion, cherry, etc. Proserpinus juanita WO?, Juanita Sphinx. The upperside of the forewing is pale gray-green with a deep green-brown median area and a white dash at the wing tip.

Enjoy some of nature's wonderments, giant silk moth cocoons. These cocoons are for sale winter and fall. Beautiful Saturniidae moths will emerge the following spring and summer. Read Actias luna rearing article. Additional online help available.

Eggs of many North American species are offered during the spring and summer. Occasionally summer Actias luna and summer Antheraea polyphemus cocoons are available. Shipping to US destinations is done from with in the US.

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