Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Elegant sphinx
Sphinx perelegans Hy. Edwards, 1874


Family: Sphingidae
Subfamily: Sphinginae
Identification: Forewing is dark gray with a pale gray line along the outer margin and a diffuse pale gray patch from the base to the center of the wing. Hindwing is black with white bands.
Wing Span: 3 9/16 - 4 5/16 inches (9 - 11 cm).
Life History: Fully-grown caterpillars pupate in chambers in the soil.
Flight: . Two broods from April-September.
Caterpillar Hosts: Snowberries (Symphoricarpos), apple and plum (Prunus), manzanita (Arctostaphylos), and mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus betuloides).
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers including evening primrose and rhododendron.
Habitat: Oak woodlands and mountains.
Range: British Columbia south to southern California and Baja California Sur, east to Colorado and New Mexico.
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: Caterpillars are sometimes pests of plum and apple trees.
Comments: NULL
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