Middlesex County, New Jersey
Sphingidae

Agrius cingulata, Old Bridge, Middlesex County, New Jersey,
September 9, 2011, courtesy of David Moskowitz.

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

The page is dedicated to Rich Wolfert of Middlesex County New Jersey. Rich sent me the following email on September 24, 2011:

"Hi Bill,

"I found your excellent site (rather obliquely), and am very impressed with Catocala page. I have a major nature and environmental website for my region (in NJ) and would like to add a link to it on my Moth Field Guide page, which is growing nicely. I'm relatively new with moths but am learning and (as a teacher-retired) would like to share any good information for helping with IDs. May I add a link to your page?

"Also, I'd like to put your wonderful image that beautifully describes the regions of a moth's wings (with attribution, of course). Would this be OK with you?"

I reply:

"Hi Rich,

"Glad you are enjoying the site and find it useful. Perhaps by coincidence, I received a Catocala vidua image yesterday or the day before from David Moskowitz in East Brunswick, New Jersey. He asked what diagnostic marks I used to identify it for him, and there is a link to my response via the Catocala vidua file.

"Yes, you may link to the New Jersey Catocala page at http://www.silkmoths.bizland.com/NewJerseycatocala.htm.

"You may also use my color diagram of the regions of Catocala wings, but some of the features apply only to Catocala. Many moth families do, however, have forewings with antemedian and post median lines dividing the wing into three basic areas: basal, median and post median. The wing edges: costa, outer margin and inner margin would also be constants as would the turning points: apex and anal angle. Most moths, however, do not have the subreniform spot characteristic of the Catocala.

"You and your visitors might also be very interested in this page, and in my New Jersey Sphingidae page which contains a link to this Middlesex County page as well as to similar checklists for other New Jersey counties. There are also many county by county pages of thumbnail checklists for Sphingidae larvae.

"My main interest is with Saturniidae, and my PEI Saturniidae site is at http://wwww3.islandtelecom.com/~oehlkew.

"I grew up in Pottersville, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, so it is very nice to see someone putting together a site and blog covering moths so close to my boyhood home."

You can visit Rich's page at http://web.me.com/rwolfert/NJNatureNotesWebsite/Moth_Field_Guide.html#264

Forty-five Sphingidae species are listed for New Jersey on the BAMONA website as of September 24, 2011. Not all of the species are reported or anticipated in Middlesex County (six species are reported on BAMONA as of September 24, 2011). 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.

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 send your sightings to BAMONA, an excellent online resource.

Many thanks to David Moskowitz who also sends this image of a Ceratomia catalpae moth, and in June 12, Amorpha juglandis.

Ceratomia catalpae, Old Bridge, Middlesex County, New Jersey,
September 9, 2011, courtesy of David Moskowitz.

Amorpha juglandis, Old Bridge, June 11, 2012, David Moskowitz.

David had notified Rich regarding my Catocala site.

Visit Middlesex County Sphingidae Larvae: Caterpillars; Hornworms

Visit New Jersey Catocala: Underwing Moths

If you are travelling, you can find active Sphingidae checklists for all countries in North, Central, and South America and the Caribbbean via the links at North, Central, South American Sphingidae checklists

Sphinginae subfamily Sphingini tribe: Agrius cingulata BAMONA/DM, Pink-spotted Hawkmoth late summer to fall stray This species is a strong migrant and adults nectar from deep-throated flowers including moonflower (Calonyction aculeatum), morning glory (Convolvulus), honey suckle (Lonicera) and petunia (Petunia species). Agrius cingulata, Old Bridge, September 9, 2011, David Moskowitz. 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. Larvae feed on Elm (Ulmus), birch (Betula), basswood (Tilia), and cherry (Prunus). Ceratomia catalpae WO/DM, the Catalpa Sphinx The upperside of the forewing is yellowish brown with no white markings, but there are indistinct black lines and dashes. The cell spot is gray with a black outline and the upperside of the hindwing is yellowish brown with obscure lines. Ceratomia catalpae, Old Bridge, Middlesex County, New Jersey, September 9, 2011, David Moskowitz. Ceratomia undulosa WO, 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. Dolba hyloeus BAMONA, 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. Lapara bombycoides WO, the Northern Pine Sphinx The upperside of the forewing is gray with heavy black bands. The upperside of the hindwing is brownish gray with no markings. Lapara coniferarum WO, the Southern Pine Sphinx The upperside is of the forewing is gray with two (sometimes one or three) black dashes near the wing center; other markings are usually diffuse. Lintneria eremitus BAMONA, the Hermit Sphinx The upperside of the forewing is gray-brown with wavy lines, black dashes, and one or two small white spots near the center of the costa. Manduca jasminearum WO, the 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, the Five-spotted Hawkmoth The moth abdomen usually has five but sometimes six pairs of yellow bands. The upperside of the forewing is blurry brown and gray. Manduca rustica WO, the Rustic Sphinx The abdomen of the adult moth has three pairs of yellow spots. The upperside of the forewing is yellowish brown to deep chocolate brown with a dusting of white scales and zigzagged black and white lines. Manduca sexta WO, the Carolina Sphinx The abdomen usually has six pairs of yellow bands, broken across the back. The sixth set of markings is quite small. The upperside of the forewing has indistinct black, brown, and white markings. Paratrea plebeja WO, the Plebeian Sphinx The upperside of the forewing is gray with indistinct black and white markings. There is a series of black dashes from the base to the tip, and a small white cell spot. Sphinx chersis WO, the Northern Ash Sphinx or Great Ash Sphinx The upperside of the forewing is soft dark gray to blue-gray with a series of black dashes, one of which reaches the wing tip. Sphinx drupiferarum WO, the Wild Cherry Sphinx Sphinx drupiferarum larvae hide in the day and feed primarily on cherry, plum, and apple at night. Sphinx franckii WO, Franck's Sphinx Moth The outer margins of the forewings are slightly concave in the male, but not in the female. The costal half of the forewings are grey, but the posterior portion is a distinctive warm yellowish-brown; the boundary between these two areas is marked with a series of dark diagonal streaks. 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 kalmiae WO/DM, the 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. Sphinx kalmiae, Old Bridge, May 17, 2012, David Moskowitz Sphinx kalmiae, Old Bridge, Middlesex County, New Jersey, May 17, 2012, David Moskowitz Sphinx kalmiae, Old Bridge, Middlesex County, New Jersey, May 17, 2012, David Moskowitz Smerinthini Tribe: Amorpha juglandis WO/DM, the Walnut Sphinx The adults are also 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. See the file for the female; she is different. Amorpha juglandis, Old Bridge, June 11, 2012, David Moskowitz Pachysphinx modesta WO, the Modest Sphinx or Poplar Sphinx This moth has a large, heavy body, and females can be remarkably plump. Larvae are fond of poplars and willows. Paonias astylus WO, the Huckleberry Sphinx This appears to be an uncommon species. Blueberry and huckleberry (Vaccinium), cherries (Prunus) and willows (Salix) are the favorites as larval foodplants. Paonias excaecata BAMONA, the Blinded Sphinx Named for the dull grey-blue spot (minus dark pupil) in the hindwing, this moth has a wide distribution and is common in Burlington County. I regularly see them on Prince Edward Island, and they are reported as far south as Florida. Paonias myops WO/DM, the Small-eyed Sphinx Named for the small eye-spot in the hindwing, this moth has a wide distribution and is common in Burlington County. I regularly see them on Prince Edward Island, and they are reported as far south as Florida. Paonias myops male, East Brunswick, May 26, 2012, David Moskowitz 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. Macroglossinae subfamily Dilophonotini tribe: See Hemaris comparison to help distinguish the next three species. Hemaris thysbe BAMONA, the 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, the 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. Hemaris gracilis WO, the Slender Clearwing or Graceful Clearwing Hemaris gracilis is distinguished from similar species by a pair of red-brown bands on the undersides of the thorax, which varies from green to yellow-green dorsally and sometimes brown with white underneath. They have a red abdomen. 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). Note the differences between this moth and the Pandorus Sphinx. Eumorpha pandorus WO, the Pandorus Sphinx If you have Grape or Virginia Creeper nearby, then you probably have this species. 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. It is reported from Burlington. Two bright, distinct, narrow yellow bands are often visible on the abdomen. Darapsa choerilus WO, the Azalea Sphinx They are common in New Jersey and common here on Prince Edward Island. You will often see this species listed as Darapsa pholus, especially in older literature. They are probably common in Burlington County. Darapsa myron BAMONA, the Virginia Creeper Sphinx or the Grapevine Sphinx The forewing upperside is dark brown to pale yellowish gray, with an olive tint. This species was quite common in rural New Jersey where the forewing color contained more green than described above. Darapsa versicolor WO, the Hydrangea Sphinx The forewing upperside is often greenish brown (photo to right) with curved dark lines and pinkish-white patches. Deidamia inscriptum WO, the Lettered Sphinx The moth's outer margin of the forewing is deeply scalloped. The upperside is light brown with dark brown markings. There is a small black and white spot near the tip. The upperside of the hindwing is orange-brown with a dark brown outer margin and median line. Hyles lineata WO, the White-lined Sphinx The forewing upperside is dark olive brown with paler brown along the costa and outer margin, a narrow tan band running from the wing tip to the base, and white streaks along the veins. Sphecodina abbottii WO/DM, the Abbott's Sphinx This moth is 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. Sphecodina abbottii, Old Bridge, May 23, 2012, David Moskowitz. Xylophanes tersa WO, the Tersa Sphinx The upperside of the forewing is pale brown with lavender-gray at the base and has dark brown lengthwise lines throughout. The upperside of the hindwing is dark brown with a band of whitish, wedge-shaped marks.

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