Walton County, Florida, and Nearby Counties:
Holmes and Washington
Sphingidae

Agrious cingulata, southern Walton County, Florida,
September 1, 2011, courtesy of Tyler Jackson.

This page is inspired by and dedicated to Tyler Jackson (TJ) who sent me the image of Agrius cingulata from Walton County, in northwestern Florida.

Tyler writes, "I found your sight while trying to identify the moth in the attached photo. Great, Great website! This moth was spotted September 1, 2011 in south Walton Co. Florida. It was less than 300 yards from the gulf. Hope you enjoy the photo."

Sixty-five Sphingidae species are listed for Florida on the BAMONA website. many of them are tropical strays into the more southerly counties. Not all of the species are reported or anticipated in Walton County (Two are reported on BAMONA as of September 4, 2011).

As of November 26, 2021, there are still no Sphingidae confirmed in either Holmes or Washington counties, but I suspect most, if not all, of the following are present.

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 have no confirmed reports of this species in your county, but I (William Oehlke) expect that this moth is present or might be present. A "BAMONA" indicates the moth is reported on the BAMONA website and/or in Lepidoptera of North America, #1. Distribution of Silkmoths (Saturniidae) and Hawkmoths (Sphingidae) of Eastern North America, an excellent little booklet available through Paul Opler.

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 report your sightings to BAMONA, an excellent online resource.

The night-blooming moon flower will attract many Sphingidae at dusk and into the night.

Sphinginae subfamily Sphingini tribe: Agrius cingulata, TJ Pink-spotted Hawk Moth. Strong migrant, adults nectar from deep-throated flowers including moonflower (Calonyction aculeatum), morning glory (Convolvulus), honey suckle (Lonicera) and petunia (Petunia species). Agrious cingulata, southern Walton County, September 1, 2011, Tyler Jackson. Ceratomia amyntor WO, Elm Sphinx or Four-horned Sphinx. Forewing upperside: brown with dark brown & white markings including a white costal area near wing base, dark streaks along veins, & white spot in cell. Elm (Ulmus), birch (Betula), basswood (Tilia), cherry (Prunus). Ceratomia catalpae BAMONA, the Catalpa Sphinx. Forewing upperside: yellowish brown with no white markings, but indistinct black lines & dashes. Gray cell spot with black outline. Larvae feed in large groups & are much more spectacular than the moths. Catalpa is the larval host. Ceratomia undulosa WO, Waved Sphinx. Forewing upperside: pale brownish gray with wavy black & white lines & black-outlined white cell spot. Hindwing upperside: gray with diffuse darker bands. Dolba hyloeus WO, the Pawpaw Sphinx. The upperside of the forewing is dark brown with a dusting of white scales. Some moths have patches of reddish or yellowish brown on the wings. Isoparce cupressi WO, Cypress or Baldcypress Sphinx. Isoparce cupressi, rare Cypress Sphinx, flies in Cypress swamps in Georgia (specimen type locality), and from Maryland to Texas. It has been reported in Mexico. Lapara coniferarum WO, Southern Pine Sphinx. Forewing upperside: gray with two (sometimes one or three) black dashes near wing center; other markings are usually diffuse. Hindwing upperside: uniform brown-gray. If you've got pines, this species is likely present. Lapara phaeobrachycerous WO. Forewing upperside: charcoal gray to brownish gray with white scales along curving postmedial line and a prominent black dash (sometimes two) near wing center. Hindwing upperside: uniform charcoal gray to brownish gray with no white scales or markings. Manduca jasminearum WO, Ash Sphinx. The upperside of forewing is gray to grayish brown with a black line running from the middle of the costa to the middle of the outer margin; the line may be broken near the margin. There is a splash of brown around the cell spot. Manduca quinquemaculatus WO, Five-spotted Hawkmoth. I suspect if you grow tomatoes, you are likely to encounter Manduca quinquemaculata. Manduca rustica WO, Rustic Sphinx. Look for three large yellow spots on each side of abdomen. Forewing upperside: yellowish brown to deep chocolate brown with dusting of white scales & zigzagged black & white lines. Manduca sexta WO, Carolina Sphinx. If you grow tomatoes, you have probably encountered Manduca sexta in the larval stage. Larvae get very large and can strip a tomato plant. Paratrea plebeja WO, Plebeian Sphinx. Forewing upperside: gray with indistinct black and white markings. Sseries of black dashes from base to tip, & small white cell spot. Sphinx franckii WO, Franck's Sphinx Moth. Forewing costal half: grey, but posterior portion distinctive warm yellowish-brown; boundary between these two areas marked with series of dark diagonal streaks. Similar to S. kalmiae but lacks dark bar along fw inner margin. Sphinx gordius WO, 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. The lower forewings are predominantly brownish-yellow with a fairly wide dark bar along the inner margin. At rest the wings hug the body, giving the moth a long slender look. Smerinthini Tribe: Amorpha juglandis WO, Walnut Sphinx. Adults are 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. Patterns range from faint to pronounced. Female is different. Pachysphinx modesta WO, the Modest Sphinx or Poplar Sphinx They are common on Prince Edward Island in eastern Canada and the range extends into Florida. Paonias astylus WO, Huckleberry Sphinx. Flies from March-September in Florida and from April-September in Louisiana. One brood northward from June-August. This appears to be an uncommon species. Paonias excaecata WO, Blinded Sphinx. Named for the dull grey-blue spot (minus dark pupil) in the hindwing, this moth has a wide distribution in the eastern United States. I regularly see them on Prince Edward Island, and they are reported as far south as Florida. Paonias myops WO, Small-eyed Sphinx. Named for the small eye-spot in the hindwing, this moth has wide distribution; probably common in the area. I regularly see them on Prince Edward Island, & they are reported as far south as Florida. Smerinthus jamaicensis WO, Twin-spotted Sphinx. This moth is widely distributed and fairly common. Along the East Coast, it flies from P.E.I. to Florida. Macroglossinae subfamily Dilophonotini tribe: Aellopos titan WO, Titan Sphinx. possible stray. Body: dark brown with wide white stripe across abdomen. Wings dark brown. The upperside of the hindwing has pale patches along the costa and inner margin. Enyo lugubris, Mournful Sphinx, WO. Body & wings dark brown. Forewing has large black patch covering most of outer half. Pale tan cell spot (dark inner pupil), and a fairly straight median line to the inside of the cell spot. Erinnyis alope WO, Alope Sphinx. Forewing upperside: dark brown with short yellowish streaks on forward half and wavy yellowish bands on rear half. Erinnyis obscura, Obscure Sphinx, WO. During the night adults nectar at flowers, including bouncing bet (Saponaria officinalis), Asystasia gangetica beginning at dusk. July & August flight times in the southern states. remote possibility See Hemaris comparison to help distinguish the next three species. Hemaris gracilis WO, Slender Clearwing or Graceful Clearwing. This day-flying moth is less common and has not been recorded in Jackson County, but it may be present. 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. Hemaris diffinis WO, Snowberry Clearwing or Bumblebee Moth. Adults mimic bumblebees and are quite variable. The wings are basically clear, with dark brown to brownish-orange veins, bases and edges. The thorax is golden-brown to dark greenish-brown. The abdomen tends to be dark (black) with 1-2 yellow segments before the tip. Philampelini tribe: Eumorpha achemon JS, Achemon Sphinx. Larvae get large and feed on grape vines and Virginia creeper. Note the differences between this moth and the Pandorus Sphinx. Eumorpha fasciatus WO, Banded Sphinx. Upperside: dark pinkish brown. Forewing with lighter brown band along costa, & sharp pinkish white bands & streaks. Primrose-willow, Ludwigia (water primrose) & others in evening primrose family. Eumorpha intermedia WO, Intermediate Sphinx. Flies in lower austral and subtropical lowlands in North Carolina, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, and South Texas. Eumorpha pandorus BAMONA, the Pandorus Sphinx If you have Grape or Virginia Creeper nearby, then you probably have this species. I often get asked to identify larvae from areas not previously reported. Macroglossini tribe: Amphion floridensis WO, 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. Darapsa choerilus WO, Azalea Sphinx. The lower wings of this hawkmoth are a solid brownish-orange, matching the body colour. You will often see this species listed as Darapsa pholus, especially in older literature. Darapsa myron WO, Virginia Creeper Sphinx or Grapevine Sphinx. If you have the foodplants indicated in the common names, you probably have this species nearby. The lower wings are orange. Darapsa versicolor WO, Hydrangea Sphinx. If you have hydrangea growing near a stream, then you might have the Hydrangea Sphinx. Deidamia inscriptum WO, Lettered Sphinx. The moth's outer margin of the forewing is deeply scalloped. The upperside is light brown with dark brown markings. There isa small black and white spot near the tip. Grape (Vitis), ampelopsis (Ampelopsis), Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus). Hyles lineata WO, White-lined Sphinx. This species has strong migrating tendancies from much further south. There are records from New Hampshire and Maine. Proserpinus guarae WO, Proud Sphinx. The rare and possibly endangered Proud Sphinx flies from Texas and Louisiana east to northern Florida, north to Alabama, Missouri, northern Georgia, and South Carolina. slight possibility Sphecodina abbottii WO, Abbott's Sphinx. Very much under reported across the United States. It is a rapid day flier so is probably not in too many collections. Grape is a popular larval host. Xylophanes tersa WO, Tersa Sphinx. This moth is much more common to the south. It is a strong migrant, however, and is probably well established in Jackson County.

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.

Visit Catocala of the United States and Canada for similar coverage of Underwing moths.

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