Boulder County, Colorado, and Nearby Counties:
Grand, Jackson; Moffat, Routt

This site has been created by Bill Oehlke.
Comments, suggestions and/or additional information/sightings are welcomed by Bill.

This page is inspired by and dedicated to Jim Jones who sent the image of the Pachysphinx occidentalis pair at top of the page.
Jim writes July 15, "Found these 7/12/2008 in the morning; they left about 10 PM.

"Boulder, Colorado
The pupa shell (below) I found in the back yard resembles the one on your site. Not sure if it's related though."

Pachysphinx occidentalis, empty pupal shell, Boulder County, Colorado,
July 12, 2008, courtesy of Jim Jones.

Most of the Sphingidae pupate underground, sometimes to a depth of six to eight inches. It is believed they wiggle to surface when eclosion is imminent, and then emerge from there. Jim's photo of the empty pupal shell supports this belief.

It would be interesting if he could actually find the exit hole and prod with a piece of straw to find the hole's length/depth.

Many thanks to Jim Pendleton and Dianne Poore who provide the following image of Eumorpha achemon.

Eumorpha achemon, Erie, Boulder County, Colorado,
August 20, 2012, courtesy of Jim Pendleton and Dianne Poore.

Thirty-three (now thirty-four; 2022) Sphingidae species are listed for Colorado on the U.S.G.S. (now BAMONA) website. Not all of the species are reported or anticipated in Boulder County (seventeen are reported on U.S.G.S. as of July 2008; nineteen as of July 30, 2022). It is hoped that this checklist, with the thumbnails and notes, will help you quickly identify the moths you are likely to encounter.

A "WO" after the species name indicates that I (William Oehlke) expect that this moth is present or might be present, although unreported. A "BAMONA" indicates the moth is confirmedon USGS site (now BAMONA).

Please help me develop this list with improved, documented accuracy by sending sightings (species, date, location), preferably with an electronic image, via email to Bill Oehlke.

Please also submit sightings to BAMONA, an excellent online resource, via link to left or top of page.

Although this page was origianlly created to reflect species likely found in Boulder County; is also serves as a valid checklistfor nearby counties of : Moffat, Routt, Jackson and Grand;

Boulder: Ceratomia undulosa; Manduca sexta; Sphinx drupiferarum; Sphinx gordius replaced by oslari; Sphinx perelegans; Sphinx vashti; Pachysphinx modesta; Pachysphinx occidentalis;Paonias excaecata; Paonias myops; Smerinthus cerisyi; Smerinthus jamaicensis; Sphinx drupiferarum; Sphinx gordius; Sphinx perelegans; Sphinx vashti; Erinnyis ello; Hemaris diffinis; Hemaris thetis; Eumorpha achemon; Amphion floridensis; Hyles lineata; Proserpinus juanita;

Grand: Manduca quinquemaculata; Paonias myops; Smerinthus cerisyi; Smerinthus jamaicensis; Sphinx dollii; Sphinx gordius, replaced by oslari; Sphinx vashti; Hemaris thetis; Hyles gallii; Hyles lineata; Proserpinus flavofasciata;

Jackson: Hemaris thetis; Hyles lineata; Proserpinus flavofasciata;

Mofffat: Sphinx asellus; Sphinx chersis; Sphinx dollii; Sphinx vashti; Pachysphinx occidentalis; Paonias myops; Smerinthus cerisyi; Hyles lineata

Routt: Sphinx vashti; Pachysphinx modesta; Smerinthus cerisyi; Smerinthus jamaicensis; Hemaris thetis; Hyles gallii; Hyles lineata.

Sphinginae subfamily Sphingini tribe: Ceratomia amyntor WO, Elm Sphinx or Four-horned Sphinx. Forewing brown with dark brown & white markings including white costal area near wing base, dark streaks along veins, & white spot in cell. edge of range Ceratomia undulosa Boulder, Waved Sphinx. Forewing pale brownish gray with wavy black & white lines & black-outlined white cell spot. Named for the wavy lines on the forewings. Lintneria separatus WO, the Separated Sphinx The upperside of the forewing is dark gray with black and light gray wavy lines. The upperside of the hindwing is black with a brownish gray border and two white bands. Manduca quinquemaculatus WO/Grand, Five-spotted Hawkmoth. Large bodied moth flies in tobacco fields & vegetable gardens (potatoes, tomatoes) & wherever host plants are found. edge of range Manduca sexta Boulder, Carolina Sphinx. If you grow tomatoes, you may have encountered it, but it has not been officially reported in Boulder County. Larvae get very large; can strip a tomato plant. edge of range Sphinx asellus WO/Moffat, Asella sphinx. Forewing pale silver-gray with series of black dashes, white patch at tip, & white stripe along outer margin. Hindwing black with blurry white bands. edge of range Sphinx chersis WO/Moffat, Northern Ash Sphinx or Great Ash Sphinx. Larval hosts are ash, lilac, privet, cherry, and quaking aspen. Sphinx dollii WO/Moffat, Doll's sphinx. Sphinx dollii (Wing span: 1 3/4 - 2 1/2 inches (4.5 - 6.3 cm)), flies in arid brushlands and desert foothills from Nevada and southern California east through Utah, Arizona, Colorado, & New Mexico to Oklahoma & Texas. (possibly in western Boulder County) Sphinx drupiferarum Boulder, Wild Cherry Sphinx Forewings, long & slender, are held close to body when moth rests. Forewing costal & terminal areas much lighter than slate grey colouration of rest of wing. Sphinx gordius Apple Sphinx. As of 2018 replaced by Sphinx oslari, a very similar species. Sphinx luscitiosa WO, Canadian Sphinx or Clemen's Sphinx. Forewing upperside is yellowish gray in males and pale gray with a faint yellow tint in females (female to left). Dark border on outer margin widens as it approaches inner margin. Hw upperside is deep yellow in males, pale yellow in females, both with wide dark border. Sphinx oslari Boulder/Grand, 2018: Sphinx oslari replaces Sphinx gordius. Forewing tends to have the dark subterminal area of gordius, but median field seems lighter; hard to distinguish Sphinx perelegans Boulder, probably confused with Sphinx vashti. S. perelegans is reported on BAMONA from Boulder, but I doubt Sphinx perelegans is present anywhere in Colorado. Sphinx vashti WO/Grand/Jackson/Moffat/ Routt Snowberry Sphinx. Snowberry Sphinx adults fly as a single brood in montane woodlands and along prairie streamcourses from April to August. The upperside of the forewing has a narrow black subterminal line bordered by a white inverted V-shaped line on the outside, and a black line at the apex. Smerinthini Tribe: Pachysphinx modesta BoulderJackson/Routt, the Modest Sphinx or Poplar Sphinx. This moth has a large, heavy body, and females can be remarkably plump. Lines are blurred, less distinct than in P. occidentalis. Pachysphinx occidentalis JJ/BoulderJackson/Moffat, the Big Poplar Sphinx This one is quite similar to Pachysphinx modesta, with modesta being smaller and darker. Moths should be on the wing from June-August. Pachysphinx occidentalis, Boulder, July 12, 2008, Jim Jones Paonias excaecata Boulder, the Blinded Sphinx. Forewing outer margin quite wavy. Dark cell spot & dark oblique line mid wing from costa almost to inner margin. Basic ground colour pinkish brown. Flight: June-July. Paonias myops Boulder/Grand/Moffat, Small-eyed Sphinx Named for the small eye-spot in the hindwing, this moth has a wide distribution. Smerinthus cerisyi Boulder/Grand/Moffat/Routt, Cerisyi's Sphinx or One-eyed Sphinx, Larvae: poplars & willows. Flight would be from late May-July-early August as a single brood. Smerinthus jamaicensis Boulder/Grand/Routt, Twin-spotted Sphinx. Widely distributed & fairly common. Along the East Coast, it flies from P.E.I. to Florida. Less common in the southwest. Macroglossinae subfamily Dilophonotini tribe: Erinnyis ello Boulder, Ello Sphinx. This species is reported in Boulder County, but would likely only be there as a migrant stray from further south. Males and females differ. Hemaris diffinis BAMONA, Snowberry Clearwing or Bumblebee Moth. Very variable species, but almost always abdomen sports contrasting black & yellow hairs, ventral surface being quite black. Legs also tend to be quite dark & there is black mask running across eye & along sides of thorax. Hemaris senta, BAMONA, Rocky Mountain Clearwing Moth. Possibly just a form of diffinis or actually thetis, have brownish-olive or olive-green heads and thoraxes. Abdomen, which has broad yellow band, black or olive-green above & yellow below. Wings: very narrow brown border & clear parts have steel-blue luster. Hemaris thetis, WO/GrandJackson/Routt, Thetis Clearwing Moth. These moths, possibly just a form of diffinis, have brownish-olive or olive-green heads and thoraxes. The abdomen, which has a broad yellow band, is black or olive-green above and yellow below. Their wings have a very narrow brown border and the clear parts of the wings have a steel-blue luster. generally in western Colorado Philampelini tribe: Eumorpha achemon Boulder/JP/DP, Achemon Sphinx. Adults nectar from flowers of Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), petunia (Petunia hybrida), mock orange (Philadelphus coronarius), & phlox (Phlox). Fight:June to August. Larvae: grape foliage. Eumorpha achemon, Erie, August 20, 2012, Jim Pendleton and Dianne Poore. Macroglossini tribe: Amphion floridensis Boulder, Nessus Sphinix. Day flier, widely distributed. If you have Virginia Creeper, you probably have the Nessus Sphinx. Two bright, distinct, narrow yellow bands are often visible on abdomen. Darapsa myron WO, Virginia Creeper Sphinx or Grapevine Sphinx. Fw dark brown to pale yellowish gray, with olive tint, sometimes green. Costal margin: dark rectangular patch, although this may be reduced or absent. Hw pale orange. Euproserpinus wiesti WO, Prairie Sphinx or Wiest's Primrose Sphinx: Black body with white band on abdomen. FW gray-brown; median area has black lines & gray band; underside white with black o. m. Hw yellowish white with narrow black o. m., black at base. Hyles euphorbiae WO, the Spurge Hawk Moth The body is light brown with various white and dark brown markings, while the wings have a conspicuous tan, brown, and pink or red color pattern. Range is spreading. Hyles gallii WO/Grand/Routt, Bedstraw Hawk Moth or Gallium Sphinx. Some years I see them on P.E.I., some years, I do not. Hyles lineata Boulder/GrandJackson/Moffat/Routt, White-lined Sphinx. Fw: dark olive brown with paler brown along costa & outer margin, narrow tan band running from wing tip to base, & white streaks along veins. Hw: black with reddish pink median band. Proserpinus flavofasciata WO/GrandJackson, Yellow-banded Day Sphinx. Medium to dark brown with faint to distinct white median band. Hw dark brown with wide orange median band which may not reach inner margin. Moth mimics bumblebee. Adults fly in afternoon as single brood from April-June in meadows in coniferous forests. Proserpinus juanita Boulder, Juanita Sphinx. Forewing pale gray-green with deep green-brown median area & white dash at wing tip.

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