Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Clark's sphinx
Proserpinus clarkiae (Boisduval, 1852)


Family: Sphingidae
Subfamily: Macroglossinae
Identification: Forewing upperside is greenish gray; median area may be dark or pale. Hindwing upperside is bright orangish yellow with black borders.
Wing Span: 1 3/8 - 1 3/4 inches (3 - 3.8 cm).
Life History: Eggs hatch about 10 days after the female deposits them on the host plant, and the newly-hatched caterpillars eat their eggshells. Fully-grown caterpillars pupate and overwinter in burrows dug under stones and other solid objects. Adults fly during the day, especially in the afternoon.
Flight: . One brood from April-June.
Caterpillar Hosts: Elegant fairyfan (Clarkia unguiculata) in the evening primrose family (Onagraceae).
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers including chia (Salvia columbariae), heartleaf milkweed (Asclepias cordifolia), golden currant (Ribes aureum), bluedicks (Dichelostemma capitatum), fairyfans (Clarkia), vetches (Vicia), thistles (Cirsium), and hedgenettles (Stachys).
Habitat: Oak woodland and pine-oak woodland in foothills.
Range: British Columbia and Washington south through California to Baja California Norte, east to Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah.
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