Moths of Southeastern Arizona:

Sphingidae ( Hawkmoths )

Eumorpha typhon

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since 26 Jan 2001

Last updated: 3 October 2011

Moths of SE Arizona main page

Sphingidae [49 Species listed, all figured]

References:

1. Tutle (2007). The Hawkmoths of North America Wedge Entomological Research foundation. An excellent text on the natural histroy of hawkmoths.
2. Hodges (1971), Fascicle 21 of The Moths of American North of Mexico
3. Schmidt. 2009. Hemaris thetis is a distinct species. J. lep Soc. 63: 100-109. pdf

Species list:

Subfamily Sphinginae

Tribe Sphingini

1. Pink-spotted hawkmoth (Agrius cingulata ) [ MONA 7771 ]
   Early stages
   1. last instar: Green form fig 1 --//-- Green form fig 2 -- // -- green form, Doug Moore photo //-- Brown form
   Foodplants:
   1. Morning Glory (Ipomoea)
2. Cocytius antaeus [ MONA 7772 ]
   Rare stray, one record : Tucson (October )
3. Carolina sphinx (Manduca sexta) [ MONA 7775 ]
   Early stages
   1. last instar
   Foodplants:
   1. Tomato, Tobacco, Potato and numerous other plants in the nightshade family (Solanaceae)
   Similar Species:
   1. Manduca quinquemaculata
      • Side-by-side: sexta and quinquemaculata
   2. Manduca occulta has equal amounts of black and white checkering on the forewing, while sexta has 2/3 black, 1/3 white checkering
      • Side-by-side: sexta vs. occculta
4. Five-spotted hawkmoth (Manduca quinquemaculata ) [ MONA 7776 ]
   Foodplants:
   1. Tomato, Tobacco, Potato and numerous other plants in the nightshade family (Solanaceae)
   Similar Species:
   1. Manduca sexta
      • Side-by-side: sexta vs.quinquemaculata
5. Occult sphinx (Manduca occulta ) [ MONA 7777 ]
   Stray (occasional records each year)
   Similar Species:
   1. Manduca sexta has 2/3 black, 1/3 white checkering on the forewing, while occulta is equal amounts of black and white checkering
      • Side-by-side: sexta vs. occulta
6. Rustic sphinx (Manduca rustica ) [ MONA 7778 ]
   Early stages
   1. penultimate instar: side view 1 --- side view 2 --- top view
   2. Last instar - - side view --- Conlan photo
   3. pupa
   Foodplants:
   1. Desertwillow (Chilopsis linearis: BIGNONIA)
   2. Aloysia wrightii (VERBENACEAE )
7. Muscosa sphinx (Manduca muscosa ) [ MONA 7781 ]
   Early stages
   1. last instar -- Conlan photo
   Foodplants
   1. Viguiera dentata
   2. Sunflower, various other composites
8. Florestan sphinx (Manduca florestan ) [ MONA 7782 ]
   Early stages
   1. last instar: side view 1 --- side view 2 -- Conlan side view -- top view
   Foodplants:
   1. Fiddlewood (Citharexylum)
   Similar Species:
   1. Ceratomia sonorensis is smaller and has dark streaks on the forewing.
      • Side-by-side: M. florestan vs. C. sonorensis
9. Dolbogene hartwegii [ MONA 7785 ]
   Foodplants:
   1. Trumpet vine (Tecoma stans: BIGNONIACEAE). Mike Wilson record.
10. Ceratomia amyntor [ MONA 7786 ]
    Apparently a small breeding colony in Portal/Paradise. Single adult record: Portal, AZ., on 3-VIII-05, by C. Bordelon. Dan Austin photographed also a larvae on Silberian Elm in Portal
11. Sonoran sphinx (Ceratomia sonorensis) [ MONA 7788 ]
    Early stages
    1. last instar
    Foodplants:
    1. Ash (Fraxinus: OLEACEAE)
    Similar Species:
    1. Manduca florestan is larger and lacks the dark streaks on the forewing.
       • Side-by-side: M. florestan vs. C. sonorensis
12. Elsa sphinx (Sagenosoma elsa ) [ MONA 7792 ]
    Early stages
    1. last instar: side view 1 --- side view 2 --- top view 1
    Foodplants:
    1. Lycium (SOLANACEAE)
13. Smith's sphinx (Lintneria smithi )
    • Tuttle (2007) moved smithi, istar, and separata from the genus Sphinx into Lintneria
    • Early stages:
      1. last instar top --- side
      Foodplants:
      1. Mints (Salvia)
    Similar Species:
    1. Lintneria istar
       • Side-by-side: istar vs. smithi
14. Separated sphinx (Lintneria separata) [ MONA 7798 ]
    Foodplants:
    1. Mints (Salvia)
    Similar Species:
    1. Sphinx istar lacks two orange spots just behind the head
       • Side-by-side: istar vs. separata
15. Istar sphinx (Sphinx istar ) [ MONA 7799 ]
    Foodplants:
    1. Mints (Salvia)
    Similar Species:
    1. Sphinx separata has two orange spots just behind the head
       • Side-by-side: istar vs. separata
    2. Sphinx smithi
       • Side-by-side: istar vs. smithi
16. Great ash sphinx (Sphinx chersis ) [ MONA 7802 ]
    Early stages
    1. last instar green morph --- Yellow morph Thomas photo
    Foodplants:
    1. Ash (Fraxinus: OLEACEAE)
    Similar Species:
    1. Sphinx libocedrus, Sphinx asella
    2. chersis vs. asella vs. libocedrus
17. Incense cedar sphinx (Sphinx libocedrus ) [ MONA 7804 ]
    Early stages
    1. penultimate instar: dark form view 1 --- view 2
    2. Last instar: light form: side view --- top view
    3. Last instar: Dark form: side view --- top view
    Foodplants:
    1. New Mexican forestiera (Forestiera neomexicana: OLEACEAE)
    2. Little leaf ash (Fraxinus gooddingii: OLEACEAE, Jim Tuttle Aug 2000)
    Similar Species:
    1. Sphinx chersis, Sphinx asella
    2. chersis vs. asella vs. libocedrus
18. Asella sphinx (Sphinx asella ) [ MONA 7806 ]
    Early stages
    1. last instar view 1 --- view 2 --- Singer Photo
    Foodplants:
    1. Manzanita (Arctostaphylos: ERICACEAE)
    Similar Species:
    1. Sphinx chersis, Sphinx libocedrus
    2. chersis vs. asella vs. libocedrus
19. Doll's sphinx (Sphinx dollii ) [ MONA 7813 ]
    Early stages
    1. last instar Conlan photo (large size)
    Foodplants:
    1. Juniper (Juniperus: CUPRESSACEAE)

Tribe Smerinthini

1. One-eyed sphinx (Smerinthus cerisyi ) [ MONA 7822 ]
   Early stages
   1. last instar -- Thomas photo
   Similar Species:
   1. Smerinthus saliceti
      • Side-by-side: cerisyi vs. saliceti
2. Salicet sphinx (Smerinthus saliceti ) [ MONA 7823 ]
   Early stages
   1. last instar: green form --- grey form --- together
   Foodplants:
   1. Willow (Salix: SALICACEAE)
   2. Cottonwood (Populus: SALICACEAE)
   Similar Species:
   1. Smerinthus cerisyi
      • Side-by-side: cerisyi vs. saliceti
3. Small-eyed sphinx (Paonias myops) [ MONA 7825 ]
   Foodplants:
   1. Prunus
4. Big poplar sphinx (Pachysphinx occidentalis) [ MONA 7828 ]
   Early stages
   1. penultimate instar
   2. last instar: Conlan photo
   Foodplants:
   1. Willow (Salix: SALICACEAE)
   2. Cottonwood (Populus: SALICACEAE)

Subfamily Macroglossinae

Tribe Dilophonotini

1. Tetrio sphinx (Pseudosphinx tetrio) [ MONA 7830 ]
   Stray
   Foodplants:
   1. Frangipani (Plumeria rubra) and other members of the dogbane family (Apocynaceae)
2. Rimosus sphinx (Isognathus rimosus) [ MONA 7831 ]
   Stray
   Foodplants:
   1. Frangipani (Plumeria rubra: Apocynaceae)
3. Alope sphinx (Erinnyis alope) [ MONA 7832 ]
   Stray
   Foodplants:
   1. papaya (Carica papaya)
4. Lassaux's sphinx (Erinnyis lassauxii) [ MONA 7833 ]
   Rare stray
   Foodplants:
   1. climbing milkweed
   Similar species
   1. ello has a lighter forewing than lassauxii
   2. crameri lacks the stripes on the abdomen found on lassauxii
   3. Side by side: lassauxii, ello, crameri, obscura
5. Ello sphinx (Erinnyis ello) [ MONA 7834 ]
   Early stages
   1. Last instar:
      • on food plant
      • Side view 1 -- Side view 2
      • Top view 1 Top view 2
   Foodplants:
   1. Mala Mujer ( Cnidoscolus angustidens: EUPHORBIACEAE)
   Similar species
   1. lassauxii -- ello has a lighter forewing than lassauxii
   2. crameri --- ello has a lighter forewing than crameri
   3. Side by side: lassauxii, ello, crameri, obscura
6. Cramer's sphinx (Erinnyis crameri) [ MONA 7836 ]
   Stray
   Foodplants:
   1. Apocynaceae?
   Similar species
   1. lassauxii --- crameri lacks the stripes on the abdomen found on lassauxii
   2. ello has a lighter forewing than crameri
   3. Side by side: lassauxii, ello, crameri, obscura
7. Obscure sphinx (Erinnyis obscura) [ MONA 7837 ]
   Foodplants:
   1. climbing milkweed (Cynanchum sp.)
   2. climbing milkweed (Matelia sp.)
   3. climbing milkweed (Sarcostemma sp.)
8. Fig sphinx (Pachylia ficus) [ MONA 7841 ]
   Stray
   Foodplants:
   1. Figs ( Ficus)
9. Falcifera sphinx (Callionima falcifera) [ MONA 7845 ]
   • Tuttle (2007) notes that material called C. parce by Hodge and others are actually C. falcifera.
   • Stray
   Foodplants:
   1. Apocynaceae?
10. Clavipes sphinx (Aellopos clavipes) [ MONA 7848 ]
    Stray. However, when it appears, it does so in numbers. Previous reports of Aellopos titan are not backed up by any voucher specimens (Tuttle, per com).
    Foodplants:
    1. Rubiaceae?
11. Mournful sphinx (Enyo lugubris) [ MONA 7851 ]
    Hodges reports a single individual from SE Arizona, but Tuttle notes no futher records.
    Foodplants:
    1. Members of the grape family (Vitaceae)
12. Westen Snowberry clearwing (Hemaris thetis) [ MONA 7855 ]
    Schmidt (2009) showed the western species formely under H. diffinis are a seperate species, thetis. pdf of Schmidt's paper.
    Early stages
    1. last instar Thomas photo
    Foodplant:
    1. Snowberry (Symphoricarpos)

Tribe Philampelini

1. Satellite sphinx (Eumorpha satellitia) [ MONA 7858 ]
   Stray
   Foodplants (elsewhere):
   1. Treebine (Cissus: Vitaceae).
2. Achemon sphinx (Eumorpha achemon) [ MONA 7861 ]
   Early stages
   1. Last instar: light form (Conlan photo) -- dark form
   Foodplants:
   1. Wild Grape ( Vitis arizonica: VITACEAE)
3. Typhon sphinx (Eumorpha typhon) [ MONA 7863 ]
   Early stages
   1. last instar--- light and dark color forms--- Conlan photo
   Foodplants:
   1. Wild Grape ( Vitis arizonica: VITACEAE)
4. Vine sphinx (Eumorpha vitis) [ MONA 7864 ]
   Stray
   Foodplants:
   1. Likely members of the grape family (Vitaceae)
5. Banded sphinx (Eumorpha fasciata) [ MONA 7865 ]
   Although Hodges lists Arizona, no voucher specimens are known (Tuttle per com).
6. Eumorpha elisa[ no MONA ]
   Stray: Single US record: AZ, Cochise Co, 4 miles NE Portal, 27 August 2010. B. Walsh leg.

Tribe Macroglossini

1. Cautethia spuria [ MONA 7868 ]
   Single Arizona record: Bill Moony, California Gulch, Aug 2005
2. Vega sphinx (Proserpinus vega) [ MONA 7878 ]
   A very rarely seen species. Single record (larvae) from Box Canyon in the Santa Ritas. However, according to Tuttle (2007) less than two dozen adults of these species are known.
   Early stages
   1. Last instar: Opler photo
   Foodplants:
   1. Oenothera sp.
3. Terloo sphinx (Proserpinus terlooii) [ MONA 7879 ]
   Early stages
   1. Last instar: light phase view 1 -- light phase side --- light phase top --- dark phase
   Foodplants:
   1. Boerhaavia
4. Falcon sphinx (Xylophanes falco) [ MONA 7889 ]
   Early stages:
   1. Last instar W. D. Peachey photo --- Doug Moore photo --- side --- top --- fully extended (showing eyespot)
   Foodplants:
   1. Bouvardia glaberrima (RUBIACEAE)
5. Brown and yellow sphinx (Xylophanes ceratomoides)
   Stray (Santa Rita record)
   Foodplants:
   1. Hamelia patens
6. Xylophanes tersa [ MONA 7890 ]
   Stray (Pena Blanca Aug 2005 record)
7. White-lined sphinx (Hyles lineata) [ MONA 7894 ]
   Early stages
   1. Last Instar: view 1 -- side view -- top view
   Foodplants:
   1. Boerhaavia
   2. evening primrose (Oenothera)
   3. Numerous, numerous herbaceous plants
   Parasites
   1. with Tachinidae eggs