Denver, Colorado

Sphinginae subfamily

Sphingini tribe: Ceratomia amyntor WO, the Elm Sphinx or Four-horned Sphinx The upperside of the forewing is brown with dark brown and white markings including a white costal area near the wing base, dark streaks along the veins, and a white spot in the cell. edge of range Ceratomia undulosa USGS/JG, the Waved Sphinx The upperside of the forewing is pale brownish gray with wavy black and white lines and a black-outlined white cell spot. It is named for the wavy lines on the forewings. Ceratomia undulosa, Denver, July, 2010, courtesy of Julie Groves. Manduca quinquemaculatus USGS, the Five-spotted Hawkmoth This large bodied moth flies in tobacco fields and vegetable gardens (potatoes, tomatoes) and wherever host plants are found. edge of range Manduca sexta USGS, the Carolina Sphinx If you grow tomatoes, you may have encountered it, but it has not been officially reported in Denver. Larvae get very large and can strip a tomato plant. edge of range Sphinx asellus WO, the Asella sphinx The upperside of the forewing is pale silver-gray with a series of black dashes, a white patch at the tip, and a white stripe along the outer margin. The upperside of the hindwing is black with blurry white bands. edge of range Sphinx chersis USGS, the Northern Ash Sphinx or Great Ash Sphinx Larval hosts are ash, lilac, privet, cherry, and quaking aspen. Sphinx drupiferarum USGS, the Wild Cherry Sphinx Forewings, long and slender, are held close to the body when the moth is at rest. The costal and terminal areas of the forewing are much lighter than slate grey colouration of the rest of the wing. Sphinx luscitiosa WO, the 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 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. Sphinx vashti USGS, the 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 WO, 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 USGS, 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. Paonias excaecata USGS, the Blinded Sphinx: The outer margin of the forewing is quite wavy. There is a dark cell spot and a dark oblique line mid wing from the costa almost to the inner margin. Basic ground colour is pinkish brown. Flight would be June-July. Paonias myops WO, the Small-eyed Sphinx Named for the small eye-spot in the hindwing, this moth has a wide distribution. Smerinthus cerisyi WO, the Cerisyi's Sphinx or One-eyed Sphinx, Larvae feed on poplars and willows. Flight would be from late May-July-early August as a single brood. Smerinthus jamaicensis USGS, the Twin-spotted Sphinx This moth is widely distributed and fairly common. Along the East Coast, it flies from P.E.I. to Florida. It is less common in the southwest. Macroglossinae subfamily Dilophonotini tribe: Erinnyis ello WO, the Ello Sphinx This species is not reported in Arapahoe County, and would likely only be there as a rare migrant stray from further south. Males and females differ. Hemaris diffinis USGS, Snowberry Clearwing; Bumblebee Moth: Very variable species, but almost always the abdomen sports contrasting black and yellow hairs, the ventral surface being quite black. The legs also tend to be quite dark and there is a black mask running across the eye and along the sides of the thorax. Hemaris thetis, WO, 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 USGS/RT, the Achemon Sphinx. Adults nectar from flowers of Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), petunia (Petunia hybrida), mock orange (Philadelphus coronarius), and phlox (Phlox). Fight would be from June to August. Larvae feed on grape foliage. Eumorpha achemon, Denver, July 29, 2011, Rhonda Tucker. Macroglossini tribe: Amphion floridensis USGS, the Nessus Sphinix This day flier is widely distributed. If you have Virginia Creeper, you probably have the Nessus Sphinx. Two bright, distinct, narrow yellow bands are often visible on the abdomen. Hyles lineata USGS/JBG/LC, White-lined Sphinx: Forewing upperside: dark olive brown with paler brown along costa and outer margin, narrow tan band running from wing tip to base, and white streaks along veins. Hindwing upperside: black with reddish pink median band. Hyles lineata, Denver, June 20, 2012, John B. Gilmore Hyles lineata, Denver, June 11, 2014, Laura Culver 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, the Bedstraw Hawk Moth Gallium Sphinx: Reported in northern CO. Some years I see them on P.E.I., some years, I do not. Darapsa myron WO, Virginia Creeper Sphinx; Grapevine Sphinx: Forewing upperside: dark brown to pale yellowish gray, with olive tint, sometimes quite green. On costal margin there is dark rectangular patch, although this may be reduced or absent. Hindwing upperside: pale orange. Euproserpinus wiesti WO, Prairie Sphinx; Wiest's Primrose Sphinx: Black body with white band on abdomen. FW upperside gray-brown; median area has black lines; gray band; underside white with black o. m.. Hw upperside yellowish white with narrow black o. m., black at base. Proserpinus juanita USGS, the 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.