Sphinginae subfamily
Sphingini tribe:
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Agrius cingulata,
WO Pink-spotted Hawkmoth:
Convolvulaceae family:, especially
Ipomoea batatas (sweet potato); Solanaceae family:
especially (Datura) (jimsonweed) and related plants in
Americas. Also a brown form. Look for very large, dark
spiracular circles. likely as an adult stray; unlikely as larva
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Lintneria separatus
WO, Separated Sphinx. Salvia greggii has been confirmed as a larval host
by Robert A. Behrstock. Jim Tuttle, tentative id, writes, "All of the
penultimate instars of both Lintneria (Sphinx) istar and Lintneria (Sphinx) separatus that I have reared have been mundane green."
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Manduca quinquemaculatus
USGS,
Five-spotted Hawkmoth.
Tomato Hornworms: each has a black horn at the end of abdomen.
Potato, tobacco, tomato, and other plants in the
nightshade family (Solanaceae). Most larvae are green, but there is also a very beautiful brown
form to the left.
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Manduca rustica
JW, Rustic Sphinx.
The caterpillar has numerous white nodules on top of thorax and
seven pairs of oblique, blue-gray stripes along body side.
Horn is white at base; blue-gray at tip. Many hosts.
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Manduca rustica on cape honeysuckle, Apache Junction, September 27, 2009, Jim Willis
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Manduca sexta
WO, Carolina Sphinx.
Tobacco Hornworms, equipped with a red-tipped horn at the end of the
abdomen, are true gluttons and feed on tobacco and tomato, and
occasionally potato and pepper crops and other plants in the
nightshade family (Solanaceae).
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Sagenosoma elsa
WO, Elsa Sphinx. Larval hosts are unknown, but larvae probably feed on Lycium
in the nightshade family (Solanaceae).Note the strong oblique black lines and the black anal horn.
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Sphinx asellus
USGS, Asella sphinx.
Larval hosts are Manzanita and Arctostaphylos
of the Ericaceae family. Look for a blue horn and strong purple
colouration.
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Sphinx chersis
USGS, Great Ash Sphinx. Larvae: pale bluish green. Head with pair of yellow
lateral bands meeting at the apex. Larval hosts are ash, lilac, privet, cherry, and quaking aspen.
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Sphinx libocedrus BAMONA,
Incense Cedar Sphinx. New Mexican forestiera
(Forestiera neomexicana), Forestiera angustifolia,
little leaf ash (Fraxinus gooddingii) in Oleaceae
family. Green and dark forms; larvae tend to darken just before pupation.
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Smerinthini Tribe:
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Pachysphinx occidentalis
USGS,
Big Poplar Sphinx.
Larvae feed on cottonwood and poplar (Populus) and willow
(Salix).
Larvae are very chunky with little to distinguish them
from Pachysphinx modesta.
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Paonias myops
WO?,
Small-eyed Sphinx.
Wild cherry species are the favorites as larval
foodplants, but eggs will also be deposited on birches and other
forest trees. To the left a second/third instar larva rests on pin
cherry. The "red heart" marking readily identifies this species.
generally more eastern species; possibly |
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Smerinthus cerisyi
USGS,
Cerisy's Sphinx; Greatly resemble modesta larvae, both pale
green, with granular skin, pale lateral diagonal lines, faint red
spiracular circles, very pale longitudinal lines running from
head to more pronounced anal diagonal line.
Green heads bounded dorsally with pale yellow inverted "V".
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Smerinthus saliceti
USGS, Salicet
Sphinx, flies in valleys and along streamsides from Mexico City north
to west Texas, southern Arizona, and extreme southern California.
There are two colour morphs, one pale green; one lime green.
Willow (Salix) or poplar (Populus).
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Macroglossinae subfamily
Dilophonotini tribe:
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Erinnyis crameri, Cramer's Sphinx,
WO.
Various plants in the dogbane family
(Apocynaceae): Rauvolfia ligustrina, Rauvolfia tetraphylla,
Stemmadenia obovata. There is also a brown form.
likely as an adult stray; unlikely in larval stage.
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Erinnyis ello
USGS, Ello Sphinx.
Papaya (Carica papaya), Cnidoscolus
angustidens, poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima),
guava (Psidium species),
saffron plum (Bumelia angustifolia/Bumelia celastrina).
Manilkara bahamensis,
Willow Bustic (Bumelia salicifolia)
and Painted Leaf (Poinsettia heterophylla) are also hosts.
Nice socks! Very variable.
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Erinnyis obscura, Obscure Sphinx,
USGS.
Rauvolfia ligustrina, Rauvolfia tetraphylla,
Stemmadenia obovata, Philibertia, Cynanchum, papaya
(Carica papaya), Asclepiadaceae, Blepharodon mucronatum,
White vine (Sarcostemma clausum) and Morrenia odorata.
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Hemaris thetis
WO
Snowberry (Symphoricarpos),
honeysuckle (Lonicera), Coralberry, viburnums, high bush cranberry, hawthorn (Crataegus).
Horn: black with slightly lighter base. This western species was formerly classified as
H. diffinis or H. senta. Those species west of the Continental Divide are
H. thetis.
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Philampelini tribe:
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Eumorpha achemon
USGS, Achemon Sphinx.
Grape (Vitis), Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) and other vines and ivies (Ampelopsis).
Larvae occur in both a light (green) form and a darker (tan/brown) form. Note six "segmented" oblique lines.
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Macroglossini tribe:
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Hyles lineata
USGS, White-lined Sphinx.
Highly varied and feed on a great diversity of plants
including willow weed (Epilobium), four o'clock (Mirabilis),
apple (Malus), evening primrose (Oenothera), elm
(Ulmus), grape (Vitis), tomato (Lycopersicon),
purslane (Portulaca), Fuschia.
All larvae seem, however, to have red/black swellings split by
dorso-lateral lines. |
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