Larimer County, Colorado

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

This page is inspired by and dedicated to Evan leonard who sent the image of the Pachysphinx occidentalis at top of the page.

Thirty-four Sphingidae species are listed for Colorado on the BAMONA website. Not all of the species are reported or anticipated in Larimer County (twenty-three are reported on BAMONA as of July 12, 2013). 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 confirmed on 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.

Sphinginae subfamily Sphingini tribe: Ceratomia amyntor BAMONA, 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 BAMONA, 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. Manduca quinquemaculatus BAMONA, 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 BAMONA, 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. edge of range Sphinx asellus BAMONA, 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 BAMONA, 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 western Colorado) Sphinx drupiferarum BAMONA, 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 gordius BAMONA, 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 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 BAMONA, 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 BAMONA, 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 BAMONA, 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/BAMONA, 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, Fort Collins, July 10, 2013, Evan Leonard Paonias excaecata BAMONA, 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 BAMONA, the Small-eyed Sphinx Named for the small eye-spot in the hindwing, this moth has a wide distribution. Smerinthus cerisyi BAMONA, 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 BAMONA, 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 Larimer 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: Hemaris diffinis is quite variable, but almost always the abdomen sports contrasting black and yellow hairs, the ventral surface being quite black. 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, BAMONA, 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 BAMONA, 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: Amphion floridensis BAMONA, 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 myron WO, the Virginia Creeper Sphinx or the Grapevine Sphinx: The forewing upperside is dark brown to pale yellowish gray, with an olive tint, sometimes quite green. On the costal margin there is a dark rectangular patch, although this may be reduced or absent. The upperside of the hindwing is pale orange. Euproserpinus wiesti WO, Prairie Sphinx or Wiest's Primrose Sphinx: Black body with white band on abdomen. FW upperside gray-brown; median area has black lines and gray band; underside white with black o. m.. Hw upperside yellowish white with narrow black o. m., black at base. Hyles euphorbiae BAMONA, 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 BAMONA, the Bedstraw Hawk Moth or Gallium Sphinx This species is not reported in your county, but it may be present, as it is reported in northern CO. Some years I see them on P.E.I., some years, I do not. Hyles lineata BAMONA, 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. The hindwing upperside is black with a reddish pink median 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.

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