Abbott's sphinx
Sphecodina abbottii (Swainson, 1821)
Family: Sphingidae
Subfamily: Macroglossinae
Identification: Adults are bumblebee mimics and make a buzzing sound when feeding. Wing margins are scalloped. Forewing upperside is dark brown with light brown bands and markings. Hindwing upperside is yellow with a wide black outer margin.
Wing Span: 2 - 2 3/4 inches (5.1 - 7 cm).
Life History: Adults begin feeding at dusk. Caterpillars feed at night, and during the day rest hidden on the bark of their host plants. Fully-grown caterpillars pupate and overwinter in shallow underground cells.
Flight: . Two flights from February-August in Louisiana; one flight from May-June in the remainder of the range.
Caterpillar Hosts: Grape (Vitis) and ampelopsis (Ampelopsis).
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers including honeysuckle (Lonicera), lilac (Syringa vulgaris), and Viburnum.
Habitat: Woodlands.
Range: Northern Florida, Mississippi, and Texas north to Nebraska.
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.
Get your BAMONA Gear!
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
Advertise with us!
Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 25 - 48 of 399 verified sightings
Observation date: May 11, 2022
Submitted by: KABerry
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 13, 2022
Observation date: Jul 09, 2021
Submitted by: Bombyx-Aurelia
Region: Quebec, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 16, 2022
Observation date: Jul 12, 2017
Submitted by: Nature passion
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 12, 2022
Observation date: Jul 02, 2015
Submitted by: gardenman13
Region: Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 12, 2022
Observation date: Jul 31, 2017
Submitted by: Debbie stengel
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 12, 2022
Observation date: Jul 28, 2017
Submitted by: Belkira
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 12, 2022
Observation date: Jul 22, 2017
Submitted by: Ducats1972
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 12, 2022
Observation date: Jul 23, 2017
Submitted by: WayneG
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 12, 2022
Observation date: Jul 17, 2017
Submitted by: tdittmann
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 12, 2022
Observation date: Jul 31, 2017
Submitted by: mati
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 11, 2022
Observation date: Jul 12, 2018
Submitted by: Christine Wiet
Region: Kent County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 11, 2022
Observation date: Jun 10, 2014
Submitted by: Upriver
Region: Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 17, 2022
Observation date: Jul 20, 2019
Submitted by: LMS
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 14, 2022
Observation date: Jul 11, 2019
Submitted by: Kimberlyannx
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 13, 2022
Observation date: Jul 25, 2019
Submitted by: hopkinsl
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 13, 2022
Observation date: Jul 07, 2020
Submitted by: Mandy Cole
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 07, 2022
Observation date: Jun 28, 2020
Submitted by: ready
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 07, 2022
Observation date: Jul 23, 2021
Submitted by: CdfTurner
Region: New Brunswick, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 07, 2022
Observation date: Jul 05, 2015
Submitted by: Mike Sussman
Region: Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Dec 10, 2021
Observation date: Sep 30, 2017
Submitted by: prf
Region: Putnam County, New York, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 01, 2021
Observation date: Jun 19, 2017
Submitted by: Karrinanana
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 30, 2021
Observation date: Jul 05, 2018
Submitted by: Eric F.
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 28, 2021
Observation date: Jun 25, 2021
Submitted by: BlueKona73
Region: Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 21, 2021
Observation date: Jul 30, 2021
Submitted by: reupurtbones
Region: Allen County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 18, 2021
- ‹ previous
- 2 of 17
- next ›