La Plata County, Colorado

Sphinginae subfamily

Sphingini tribe: Manduca quinquemaculata WO, the Five-spotted Hawkmoth This large bodied moth flies in tobacco fields and vegetable gardens (potatoes, tomatoes) and wherever host plants are found. Manduca sexta WO?, the Carolina Sphinx If you grow tomatoes, you may have encountered it, but it has not been officially reported in La Plata County. Larvae get very large and can strip a tomato plant. Sagenosoma elsa WO, the Elsa sphinx The upperside of the forewing has a wide white band along the costa from base to apex. The remainder of the wing has black and white bands. Sphinx asellus USGS, 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. Sphinx chersis WO, the Northern Ash Sphinx or Great Ash Sphinx Larval hosts are ash, lilac, privet, cherry, and quaking aspen. Sphinx dollii WO, the 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, and New Mexico to Oklahoma and Texas. (possibly in eastern Inyo Co.) Sphinx drupiferarum WO, the Wild Cherry Sphinx Forewings, long and slender, are held close to the body when the moth is at rest. (northern if present) I only see them occasionally on P.E.I. despite visiting lights frequently. Sphinx gordius WO, the 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. Dashes, submarginal line, and cell spot are usually weak. Sphinx libocedrus WO, the Incense Cedar Sphinx The upperside of the forewing is pale blue-gray to dark gray with a black dash reaching the wing tip and a white stripe along the lower outer margin. The upperside of the hindwing is black with two diffuse white bands, the upper one being practically non-existent. Sphinx luscitiosa WO, the Canadian Sphinx or Clemen's Sphinx This one is reported from Otsego, by USGS and also by Jonathan Tubbs. 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 WO, 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. Pachysphinx occidentalis WO, 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 WO, 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 KM, 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 cerisyi, June 7-8, Karen McKibbin Smerinthus jamaicensis WO?, 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. unlikely Macroglossinae subfamily Dilophonotini tribe: Hemaris diffinis WO, the Snowberry Clearwing or Bumblebee Moth Hemaris diffinis is a 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 senta, WO, Rocky Mountain 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. Philampelini tribe: Eumorpha achemon WO, 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. Macroglossini tribe: Hyles lineata USGS, the White-lined Sphinx Larvae can be quite varied. Darapsa myron WO, the Virginia Creeper Sphinx or the Grapevine Sphinx This moth is not recorded on the U.S.G.S. site for Otsego County. It is widely reported in southern Michigan and in southern Ontario. If you have the foodplants indicated in the common names, you probably have this species nearby. unlikely Euproserpinus wiesti WO, Prairie Sphinx or Wiest's Primrose Sphinx: Body is black with white band across abdomen. FW upperside is gray-brown; median area has black lines and gray band; underside is white with black outer margin. Hw upperside is yellowish white with narrow black outer margin, black at base; underside is white with black at base and black marginal band. Proserpinus juanita WO, 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.