British Columbia Sphingidae: Larvae

Sphinginae subfamily

Sphingini tribe: Manduca quinquemaculata RBCM, the Five-spotted Hawkmoth The caterpillars are called Tomato Hornworms and each has a black horn at the end of the abdomen. Larvae feed on potato, tobacco, tomato, and other plants in the nightshade family (Solanaceae). There is also a very beautiful brown form. See species file. Sphinx chersis RBCM, the Great Ash Sphinx The larvae are pale bluish green. The head has a pair of yellow lateral bands meeting at the apex. Larval hosts are ash, lilac, privet, cherry, and quaking aspen. Sphinx drupiferarum RBCM, the Wild Cherry Sphinx Sphinx drupiferarum larvae hide in the day and feed primarily on cherry, plum, and apple at night. Larvae have been found on Amelanchier nantuckensis in Massachusetts and have been reared to pupation in Michigan on Prunus serotina from eggs readily oviposited by a female. Sphinx perelegans RBCM, the Elegant Sphinx; A unique feature of this larva is a shield on the first thoracic segment, which is of the same colour as the body and which forms a tight-fitting hood over the vertex of the head. This hides a pair of glossy black spots on top of the head, which are revealed if the animal is disturbed. Sphinx vashti RBCM, the Snowberry Sphinx Larvae feed on the common snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) and on coralberry (S. orbiculatus). Note the two golden lines of slightly raised bumps, one just behind the head, the other on the thorax. Smerinthini Tribe: Pachysphinx modesta RBCM, the Modest Sphinx or Poplar Sphinx Larvae feed on poplars and cottonwood. Paonias excaecata RBCM, the Blinded Sphinx Larvae accept willows, birches, and cherries. I have also found them in the wild on oak in eastern Canada. The skin of the mature larva has a very grainy appearance. Paonias myops RBCM, the Small-eyed Sphinx Wild cherry species are the favorites as larval foodplants, but eggs will also be deposited on birches and other forest trees. There are varying degrees in the amount of red markings along the sides. Smerinthus cerisyi RBCM, Cerisy's Sphinx; Cerisyi larvae greatly resemble modesta larvae, both being pale green, with granular skin, pale lateral diagonal lines, faint red spiracular circles, and very pale longitudinal lines running from the head to a more pronounced anal diagonal line. Larvae have green heads bounded dorsally with a pale yellow inverted "V". Note reddish horn, often blue. Smerinthus cerisyi, east Kootenays, August 1, 2009, Daryll Smerinthus cerisyi larva, View Royal, August 1, 2010, Lauren, David, Rick Van Acken. Smerinthus cerisyi larva, Port Kells/Clayton Heights, Surrey, August 20, 2012, Lisa Ingvallsen Smerinthus jamaicensis RBCM, the Twin-spotted Sphinx Blueish-green larvae feed upon many forest trees including birches and cherries, but are expecially fond of poplars and willows. Red markings on sides vary greatly from specimen to specimen. Note blue horn. Macroglossinae subfamily Dilophonotini Tribe: Hemaris diffinis RBCM, the Snowberry Clearwing or Bumblebee Moth Larval host plants include Snowberry (Symphoricarpos), honeysuckle (Lonicera), Coralberry, viburnums, Blue Dogbane (Apocynum) and dwarf bush honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera). Horn is black with a yellow base. Hemaris thysbe RBCM, the Hummingbird Clearwing There is also an orangey-pink prepupal form. The lateral line runs from S1 to the blue horn. Hemaris thysbe larvae feed on viburnum and related plants. Macroglossini Tribe: Deilephila elpenor NK/SL/MH, the Large Elephant Hawk Moth Introduced and established in southern B.C. Larvae prefer Epilobium and Gallium, but will also eat foliage of other plants. Deilephila elpenor adult, East Vancouver, June 16, 2011, Nayt Keane Deilephila elpenor adult, Maple Ridge, July 27, 2011, Stephanie Larbalestier Deilephila elpenor larva, Maple Ridge, August 21, 2012, Marcia Hotvedt Hyles gallii RBCM, the Bedstraw Hawk Moth or Gallium Sphinx. Larvae, which are smooth, shiny, and predominantly black, grow extremely rapidly. They remind me of warm, black licorice strips in that they are shiny, long and thin, and do not seem to have or exercise much longitudinal muscle strength. Larvae come in black and in brown forms and often feed on Epilobium (fireweed). Hyles lineata RBCM, the White-lined Sphinx Larvae are highly varied and feed on a great diversity of plants including willow weed (Epilobium), four o'clock (Mirabilis), apple (Malus), evening primrose (Oenothera), elm (Ulmus), grape (Vitis), tomato (Lycopersicon), purslane (Portulaca), and Fuschia. All larvae seem, however, to have the red/black swellings split by dorso-lateral lines. Proserpinus clarkiae RBCM, Clark's Sphinx, Larvae feed on elegant fairyfan (Clarkia unguiculata) in the evening primrose family (Onagraceae). Proserpinus flavofasciata RBCM, the Yellow-banded Day Sphinx. The penultimate instar is pale green with a pair of pale, dorsolateral lines running from head to base of short caudal horn. The last instar is brown-black with numerous black dots; caudal horn replaced by black button surrounded by white ring edged with black.