Sphinginae subfamily
Sphingini tribe:
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Ceratomia amyntor
USGS,
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). |
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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 with heavy black bands. The
upperside of the hindwing is brownish gray with no markings.
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The moth abdomen usually has five but sometimes six pairs of yellow
bands. The upperside of the forewing is blurry brown and gray.
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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.
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TForewings, long and slender, are held close to the body when the
moth is at rest.
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Sphinx eremitus
USGS,
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. The upperside of the hindwing is black with two white bands
and a triangular black patch at the base. Note the golden hair on the
thorax.
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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.
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Sphinx luscitiosa
WO,
the Canadian Sphinx or
Clemen's Sphinx
The upperside of the forewing is yellowish gray in males and pale
gray with a faint yellow tint in females. In both sexes, the dark
border on the outer margin widens as it approaches the inner margin.
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If you have blueberries in the woods, then you probably have the
Poecila Sphinx.
They are pretty common here on Prince Edward Island in eastern Canada.
They are reported as far south as northeastern New York.
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Smerinthini Tribe:
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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. |
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Pachysphinx modesta
USGS, the Modest Sphinx or Poplar Sphinx
This moth has a large, heavy body, and females can be remarkably
plump.
They are common on Prince Edward Island. |
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Named for the dull grey-blue spot in the hindwing, this moth has a
wide distribution and is probably common in Windsor although not
officially recorded.
I regularly see them on Prince Edward Island, and they are reported as far south as Florida. |
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Named for the small eye-spot in the hindwing, this moth has a
wide distribution
and is probably common in Windsor although not reported.
I regularly see them on Prince Edward Island, and they are reported as far south as Florida.
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Smerinthus cerisyi antennae typically rest alongside head and thorax and forewings generally
conceal hindwings. This is a very easy species to rear.
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Smerinthus jamaicensis closely resembles
Smerinthus cerisyi, but jamaicensis is much smaller
with larger blue patches on more vibrant and deeper purple in the
lower wings. |
Macroglossinae subfamily
Dilophonotini tribe:
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Hemaris thysbe
USGS, 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.
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Hemaris diffinis
USGS, the Snowberry Clearwing or
Bumblebee Moth
Adults mimic bumblebees and are quite variable, both geographically
and seasonally. The wings are basically clear, with dark brown to
brownish-orange veins, bases and edges. The abdomen tends to be dark (black) with
1-2 yellow segments just before the terminal end.
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Philampelini tribe:
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This moth has beautiful pink hindwings. Larvae get quite large and
are often found on grape foliage or crawling on the ground
seeking some soft earth for tunneling and pupation. |
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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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. I suspect they are present.
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Darapsa myron
USGS, the Virginia Creeper Sphinx or the Grapevine Sphinx
This moth is recorded on the U.S.G.S. site for Windsor County.
It is widely reported as far north as southern Maine. If you have the
foodplants indicated in the common names, you probably have this
species nearby.
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Darapsa versicolor
WO,
the Hydrangea Sphinx:
Fw upperside is often greenish brown with
curved dark lines and pinkish-white patches.
Hw upperside is pale yellow to reddish brown with white
along the costal margin, greenish brown along the outer margin, and
white shaded with greenish brown on inner margin.
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Hyles gallii
BA/USGS, the Bedstraw Hawk Moth
or Gallium Sphinx
This species is reported in Windsor County by Beth Anderson.
Some years I see them on P.E.I., some years, I do not.
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Hyles lineata
WO, the White-lined Sphinx
This species is not reported from Windsor County.
It is a strong migrator from the south,
and has been seen in northern New Hampshire. |
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This moth is very much under reported. It is a
rapid day flier so is probably not in too many collections.
Grape is a popular larval host.
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