Sphinginae subfamily
Sphingini tribe:
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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).
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Cat Traylor larval image at bottom of page, November 9, 2006
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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. The larvae feed in large groups and are much more
spectacular than the moths.
Catalpa is the larval host. |
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The upperside of the forewing is pale brownish gray with wavy black and white lines and a black-outlined white cell spot. The upperside of the hindwing is gray with diffuse darker bands. |
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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.
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The upperside of the forewing is gray to yellowish gray to brown,
with whitish patches and black markings, including two dashes
running from the cell out toward the margin. The reddish brown patch
just outside the cell and above the dashes is the most distinguishing
character.
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I suspect if you grow tomatoes, you are likely to encounter Manduca quinquemaculata.
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Look for three large yellow spots
on each side of the abdomen. The upperside of the forewing is
yellowish brown to deep chocolate brown with a dusting of white
scales and zigzagged black and white lines.
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Manduca rustica, Mission (Hidalgo County), Texas,
April 16, 2006, courtesy of Gil Quintanilla.
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If you grow tomatoes, you have probably encountered Manduca sexta
in the larval stage.
Larvae get very large and can strip a tomato plant.
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 | 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.
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 | 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.
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Macroglossinae subfamily
Dilophonotini tribe:
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The body is dark brown with a wide white
band across the abdomen. Wings are dark brown. The forewing has a
black cell spot and 3 white spots near the pale brown marginal
area. Note absence of white scales near hindwing anal angle.
rare |
Aellopos clavipes, adult, August 28, 2006, Hidalgo, Gil Quintanilla
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The body is brown with a wide white band across the abdomen. The
upperside of wings is dark brown; the forewing has two bands of pale
spots and lacks a black spot (typical of clavipes) at the end of the
cell. rare |
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The body is dark brown with a wide white stripe across the abdomen.
The wings are dark brown. It is very similar to above species, but the
upperside of the hindwing has
pale patches along the costa and inner margin. rare |
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Enyo lugubris, the Mournful Sphinx,
USGS stray
The body and wings are dark brown. The forewing has a large black
patch covering most of the outer half of the wing. There is a pale
tan cell spot (dark inner pupil), and a fairly straight median line
to the inside of the cell spot.
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Erinnyis alope
USGS, the Alope Sphinx, stray
The upperside of the forewing is dark brown with short yellowish
streaks on the forward half and wavy yellowish bands on the rear
half.
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This moth flies in Haiti and Jamaica south to Paraguay and Bolivia
with occasional sightings in Texas and Arizona.
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Erinnyis ello
MQ/USGS, the Ello Sphinx
This species is sporadically reported in southern Texas counties.
Mike Quinn provides larval image, October 24, 2005, Hidalgo Co.
Males and females differ.
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This moth flies in Haiti and Jamaica south to Paraguay and Bolivia
with occasional sightings in Texas and Arizona.
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During the night adults nectar at flowers, including bouncing bet
(Saponaria officinalis) and Asystasia gangetica beginning at dusk.
July and August are flight times in the southern states.
rare
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Pachylia ficus, the Fig Sphinx,
USGS
The upperside of the forewing is orangish brown
with a paler patch along the costa at the tip.
The upperside of
the hindwing is orange to orangish brown with a black outer border, a
black median band, and a white spot on the outer margin near the body.
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Pseudosphinx tetrio, the Tetrio Sphinx,
MQ
The upperside of the forewing is dark brown with a dark spot at the
base of the costa and blurry gray and white markings.
The fw outer margin is quite dentate in the male. The upperside
of the hindwing is dark brown with white along the inner margin, and
the lower half of the outer margin.
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Philampelini tribe:
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The moth's upperside is brown with indistinct dark and yellow-brown
markings. A yellow-brown band runs parallel to the inner margin from
the base almost to the outer margin on the forewing.
stray
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Eumorpha fasciatus
USGS, the Banded Sphinx
The upperside of the moth is dark pinkish brown. Each forewing has a
lighter brown band along the costa, and sharp pinkish white bands and
streaks. Larvae feed upon primrose-willow, Ludwigia (water primrose)
and other plants in the evening primrose family.
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The Gaudy Sphinx flies in America, and although primarily a tropical
species, it has been taken as far north as Saskatchewan as a stray.
Forewings are a vibrant grey-green.
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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. |
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The Satellite Sphinx Moth, Eumorpha
satellitia satellitia flies in Jamaica and from Mexico to
Ecuador and further south into Bolivia. Mike Quinn provides
larval image October 20, 2005 (Cameron Co.).stray
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The upperside of the moth is dark pinkish brown. Each forewing has a
lighter brown band along the costa, and sharp pinkish white bands and
streaks. The hindwing has a pink patch on the inner margin.
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Eumorpha vitis, Mission (Hidalgo County), Texas,
September 10, 2006, courtesy of Gil Quintanilla.
Macroglossini tribe:
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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.
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Cautethia spuria
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Hyles lineata
USGS, the White-lined Sphinx
This species has
strong migrating tendancies from much further south.
There are records from New Hampshire and Maine. |
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The upperside of the forewing is pale gray-green with a deep
green-brown median area and a white dash at the wing tip.
rare
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The upperside of the forewing is olive brown with darker shading and
dark longitudinal lines. The upperside of the hindwing is dark olive
brown with an orange-yellow postmarginal band.
rare
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The upperside of the forewing is olive green with a paler median band
and pale lines with purple shading along them. The upperside of the
hindwing has a white spot surrounded by black at the base, a wide
orangish yellow median band, and a brown to greenish band along the
outer margin.
The head and flared thorax of larva suggest the appearance of a snake.
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Pupa found outdoors, December 5, 2005, emerged January 4, indoors; Cat Traylor, Edinburg, Hidalgo
Adult moth observed outdoors, December 24, 2005; Cat Traylor, Hidalgo
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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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