Olmsted County, Minnesota
Sphingidae

Sphinginae subfamily

Sphingini tribe: 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. The upperside of the hindwing is light brown and has a dark brown band along the outer margin. Ceratomia catalpae WO, 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. Catalpa is the larval host. 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. The upperside of the hindwing is gray with diffuse darker bands. Lapara bombycoides USGS, 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. Lintneria eremitus WO, 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 quinquemaculata USGS 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. The upperside of the hindwing is banded with brown and white and has two well-separated median zigzag bands. 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. If you grow tomatoes, you have probably encountered it. Larvae get very large and can strip a tomato plant. Sphinx canadensis WO, Sphinx canadensis, the Canadian Sphinx The absence of the white spot on each forewing and the more brownish coloration serve to separate S. canadensis from S. poecilus. The hindwing fringe also tends to be white on poecilus and checkered brownish on canadensis. maybe Sphinx chersis USGS, 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. The upperside of the hindwing is black with blurry pale gray bands. Larval hosts are ash, lilac, privet, cherry, and quaking aspen. Sphinx drupiferarum WO, the Wild Cherry Sphinx The costal area is light grey in the basal and median areas. The terminal and marginal areas are also light grey. The rest of the forewing is dark slatey grey. Sphinx poecila WO, the Poecila Sphinx If you have blueberries in the woods, then you might have the Poecila Sphinx. They are pretty common here on Prince Edward Island, but don't fly too far west of Wisconsin. unlikely Sphinx vashti WO, the Snowberry Sphinx 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 running inwards from the apex of the wing. It is most often found in montane woodlands and along streamcourses. Smerinthini Tribe: Amorpha juglandis WO, 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. Patterns range from faint to pronounced. Pachysphinx modesta WO the Modest Sphinx or Poplar Sphinx This moth has a large, heavy body, and females can be remarkably plump. Lines are diffuse and the forewing has darker and lighter grey to brown areas. Paonias excaecata WO, the Blinded Sphinx Named for the dull grey-blue spot in the hindwing, this moth has a wide distribution and should be present in Olmsted County. I regularly see them on Prince Edward Island. Paonias myops USGS, the Small-eyed Sphinx Named for the small eye-spot in the hindwing, this moth has a wide distribution and is confirmed in Olmsted County. I regularly see them on Prince Edward Island, and they are reported as far south as Florida. Smerinthus cerisyi USGS, the Cerisyi's Sphinx At my home in Montague, P.E.I., Canada, they are quite common. This is a very easy species to rear. Smerinthus jamaicensis USGS, the Twin-spotted Sphinx 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: Aellopos titan WO, the Titan Sphinx. The body is dark brown with a wide white stripe across the abdomen. The wings are dark brown. The upperside of the hindwing has pale patches along the costa and inner margin. rare summer/fall stray Erinnyis ello, the Ello Sphinx, USGS The abdomen has very distinct gray and black bands. Adults nectar at dusk so you may see them in the garen at that time. probably only as a stray See Hemaris comparisons. Hemaris thysbe USGS, the Hummingbird Clearwing This interesting day flier is confirmed for Olmsted County. They are widely distributed in the east from P.E.I. to Florida. Hemaris diffinis USGS, the Snowberry Clearwing or Bumblebee Moth This moth is widely distributed and is confirmed for Olmsted County. Philampelini tribe: Eumorpha achemon WO, the Achemon Sphinx Eumorpha pandorus WO, the Pandorus Sphinx: If you have Grape or Virginia Creeper nearby, then you probably have this species. I often get asked to identify larvae from areas where they have not previously been reported. maybe 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. 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. Darapsa myron USGS, the Virginia Creeper Sphinx or the Grapevine Sphinx The forewing upperside is dark brown to pale yellowish gray, with an olive tint. 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. 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 gallii WO, the Bedstraw Hawk Moth or Gallium Sphinx This species is not reported in Minnesota by USGS, but I expect it is present. Some years I see them on P.E.I., some years, I do not. Hyles euphorbiae WO, 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. maybe Hyles lineata CC/USGS, 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. Hyles lineata larvae, August 21, 2006, courtesy of Cristine Charlesworth.

Sphecodina abbottii WO, the Abbott's Sphinx 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.