Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Vashti sphinx
Sphinx vashti Strecker, 1878


Family: Sphingidae
Subfamily: Sphinginae
Identification: Highly variable. Forewing ranges from pale to very dark gray with paler gray at the base of the costa, the wing tip, and on the outer margin. A series of black dashes ends with the topmost one reaching the wing tip. Hindwing is black with white bands.
Wing Span: 3 - 4 inches (7.5 - 10 cm).
Life History: Fully-grown caterpillars pupate in underground chambers.
Flight: . One brood from May-July.
Caterpillar Hosts: Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) and coralberry (S. orbiculatus).
Adult Food: Honeysuckle (Lonicera) and columbine (Aquilegia).
Habitat: Montane woodlands and prairie streamcourses.
Range: British Columbia east to Manitoba, south to southern California, Nevada, central Arizona, New Mexico, and west Texas.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
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