Family Sphingidae (Sphinx Moths, Hawkmoths)

Description of Sphingidae

The Sphingidae belong to the Superfamily Sphingoidea. Members of this family are commonly called "hummingbird," "sphinx," or "hawk" moths, and some can be mistaken for hummingbirds. Most are medium to large moths, with heavy bodies; wingspread reaches 5 inches or more in some species. The Sphingidae are strong and fast fliers, with a rapid wingbeat. Most species in the group are active at dusk, and most feed much like hummingbirds, hovering in front of a flower and sipping nectar through the extended proboscis. The proboscis rolls up when not in use. Some species lack scales on large portions of their wings, resulting in transparent or clear wings. In most species, the larval stage is called a "hornworm" because the caterpillar's posterior end has a harmless hook or hornlike appendage protruding upward. Unfortunately, the caterpillar of some species can be very destructive to agricultural crops and ornamental plantings.

Subfamily: Sphinginae (Sphinginae)

Adhemarius blanchardorum Blanchards' amplypterus

Adhemarius gannascus (Stoll, 1790)

Agrius cingulata Pink-spotted hawkmoth (Fabricius, 1775)

Amorpha juglandis Walnut sphinx (J.E. Smith, 1797)

Ceratomia amyntor Elm sphinx (Geyer, 1835)

Ceratomia catalpae Catalpa sphinx (Boisduval, 1875)

Ceratomia hageni Hagen's sphinx Grote, 1874

Ceratomia sonorensis Sonoran sphinx Hodges, 1971

Ceratomia undulosa Waved sphinx (Walker, 1856)

Cocytius antaeus Giant sphinx (Drury, 1773)

Cocytius duponchel Duponchel's sphinx (Poey, 1832)

Dolba hyloeus Pawpaw sphinx (Drury, 1773)

Dolbogene hartwegii Hartweg's sphinx (Butler, 1875)

Isoparce cupressi Baldcypress sphinx (Boisduval, 1875)

Lapara bombycoides Northern pine sphinx Walker, 1856

Lapara coniferarum Southern pine sphinx (J.E. Smith, 1797)

Lapara phaeobrachycerous Gulf pine sphinx Brou, 1994

Lintneria eremitus Hermit sphinx (Hübner, 1823)

Lintneria istar Istar sphinx (Rothschild & Jordan, 1903)

Lintneria separatus Separated sphinx Neumoegen, 1885

Manduca albiplaga White-plagued sphinx (Walker, 1856)

Manduca brontes (Drury, 1773)

Manduca florestan (Cramer, 1782)

Manduca jasminearum Ash sphinx (Guérin, [1831])

Manduca muscosa Muscosa sphinx (Rothschild & Jordan, 1903)

Manduca occulta Occult sphinx (Rothschild & Jordan, 1903)

Manduca quinquemaculata Five-spotted hawkmoth (Haworth, 1803)

Manduca rustica Rustic sphinx (Fabricius, 1775)

Manduca sexta Carolina sphinx (Linnaeus, 1763)

Neococytius cluentius Cluentius sphinx (Cramer, 1776)

Pachysphinx modesta Modest sphinx (Harris, 1839)

Pachysphinx occidentalis Big poplar sphinx (Hy. Edwards, 1875)

Paonias astylus Huckleberry sphinx (Drury, 1773)

Paonias excaecata Blinded sphinx (J.E. Smith, 1797)

Paonias myops Small-eyed sphinx (J.E. Smith, 1797)

Paratrea plebeja Plebeian sphinx (Fabricius, 1777)

Protambulyx carteri Carter's sphinx Rothschild & Jordan, 1903

Protambulyx strigilis Streaked sphinx (Linnaeus, 1771)

Sagenosoma elsa Elsa sphinx (Strecker, 1878)

Smerinthus cerisyi One-eyed sphinx Wm. Kirby, 1837

Smerinthus jamaicensis Twin-spotted sphinx (Drury, 1773)

Smerinthus saliceti Salicet sphinx Boisduval, 1875

Sphinx asellus Asella sphinx

Sphinx canadensis Canadian sphinx Boisduval, 1875

Sphinx chersis Great ash sphinx (Hübner, 1823)

Sphinx chisoya Chisoya sphinx (Schaus, 1932)

Sphinx dollii Doll's sphinx Neumoegen, 1881

Sphinx drupiferarum Wild cherry sphinx J.E. Smith, 1797

Sphinx eremitoides Sage sphinx Strecker, 1874

Sphinx franckii Franck's sphinx Neumoegen, 1893

Sphinx geminus Gemmed sphinx (Rothschild & Jordan, 1903)

Sphinx gordius Apple sphinx Cramer, 1780

Sphinx kalmiae Laurel sphinx J.E. Smith, 1797

Sphinx leucophaeata

Sphinx libocedrus Incense cedar sphinx Hy. Edwards, 1881

Sphinx luscitiosa Clemen's sphinx Clemens, 1859

Sphinx perelegans Elegant sphinx Hy. Edwards, 1874

Sphinx pinastri Pine hawkmoth Linnaeus, 1758

Sphinx poecila Poecila sphinx Stephens, 1828

Sphinx sequoiae Sequoia sphinx Boisduval, 1868

Sphinx smithi Smith's sphinx

Sphinx vashti Vashti sphinx Strecker, 1878

Subfamily: Macroglossinae (Macroglossinae)

Aellopos clavipes Clavipes sphinx (Rothschild & Jordan, 1903)

Aellopos fadus Fadus sphinx (Cramer, 1776)

Aellopos tantalus Tantalus sphinx (Linnaeus, 1758)

Aellopos titan Titan sphinx (Cramer, 1777)

Amphion floridensis Nessus sphinx B.P. Clark, 1920

Callionima falcifera (Gehlen, 1943)

Callionima parce Fabricius, 1775

Callionima parce Parce sphinx (Fabricius, 1775)

Cautethia grotei Grote's sphinx Hy. Edwards, 1882

Cautethia spuria Spurious sphinx (Boisduval, 1875)

Daphnis nerii Oleander Hawk-moth (Linnaeus, 1758)

Darapsa choerilus (pholus) Azalea Sphinx (Cramer, [1780])

Darapsa myron Virginia creeper sphinx (Cramer, 1780)

Darapsa versicolor Hydrangea sphinx (Harris, 1839)

Deidamia inscriptum Lettered sphinx (Harris, 1839)

Deilephila elpenor Elephant Hawk Moth (Linnaeus, 1758)

Enyo lugubris Mournful sphinx (Linnaeus, 1771)

Erinnyis alope Alope sphinx (Drury, 1770)

Erinnyis crameri Cramer's sphinx (Schaus, 1898)

Erinnyis ello Ello sphinx (Linnaeus, 1758)

Erinnyis lassauxii Lassaux's sphinx (Boisduval, 1859)

Erinnyis obscura Obscure sphinx (Fabricius, 1775)

Erinnyis oenotrus Oenotrus sphinx (Cramer, 1782)

Eumorpha achemon Achemon sphinx (Drury, 1773)

Eumorpha anchemolus Anchemola sphinx

Eumorpha elisa (Smyth, 1901)

Eumorpha fasciatus Banded sphinx (Sulzer, 1776)

Eumorpha intermedia Intermediate sphinx (B.P. Clark, 1917)

Eumorpha labruscae Gaudy sphinx (Linnaeus, 1758)

Eumorpha megaeacus Eacus sphinx

Eumorpha pandorus Pandorus Sphinx (Hübner, 1821)

Eumorpha satellitia Satellite sphinx (Linnaeus, 1771)

Eumorpha typhon Typhon sphinx (Klug, 1836)

Eumorpha vitis Vine sphinx (Linnaeus, 1758)

Euproserpinus euterpe Kern primrose sphinx Hy. Edwards, 1888

Euproserpinus phaeton Phaeton primrose sphinx Grote & Robinson, 1865

Euproserpinus wiesti Wiest's primrose sphinx Sperry, 1939

Eupyrrhoglossum sagra (Poey, 1832)

Hemaris aethra (Strecker, 1875)

Hemaris diffinis Snowberry Clearwing (Boisduval, 1836)

Hemaris gracilis Slender clearwing (Grote & Robinson, 1865)

Hemaris thetis (Boisduval, 1855)

Hemaris thysbe Hummingbird Clearwing (Fabricius, 1775)

Hemeroplanes ornatus (Rothschild, 1894)

Hyles euphorbiae Spurge hawkmoth (Linnaeus, 1758)

Hyles gallii Bedstraw hawkmoth (Rottemburg, 1775)

Hyles lineata White-lined Sphinx (Fabricius, 1775)

Isognathus rimosa Rimosus sphinx (Grote, 1865)

Madoryx pseudothyreus False-windowed sphinx (Grote, 1865)

Pachylia ficus Fig sphinx (Linnaeus, 1758)

Pachylioides resumens (Walker, 1856)

Perigonia glaucescens (Walker, 1856)

Perigonia lusca Half-blind sphinx (Fabricius, 1777)

Phryxus caicus Caicus sphinx (Cramer, 1777)

Proserpinus clarkiae Clark's sphinx (Boisduval, 1852)

Proserpinus flavofasciata Yellow-banded sphinx (Walker, 1856)

Proserpinus gaurae Proud sphinx (J.E. Smith, 1797)

Proserpinus juanita Juanita sphinx (Strecker, 1877)

Proserpinus lucidus Pacific green sphinx Boisduval, 1852

Proserpinus terlooii Terloo sphinx Hy. Edwards, 1875

Proserpinus vega Vega sphinx (Dyar, 1903)

Pseudosphinx tetrio Tetrio sphinx (Linnaeus, 1771)

Sphecodina abbottii Abbott's sphinx (Swainson, 1821)

Xylophanes ceratomoides Brown and yellow sphinx

Xylophanes falco Falcon sphinx (Walker, 1856)

Xylophanes irrorata (Grote, 1865)

Xylophanes libya Libya sphinx (Druce, 1878)

Xylophanes pluto Pluto sphinx (Fabricius, 1777)

Xylophanes porcus Porcus sphinx (Hübner, 1823)

Xylophanes tersa Tersa Sphinx (Linnaeus, 1771)

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Description of Sphingidae

Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Subfamily: Sphinginae (Sphinginae)

Subfamily: Macroglossinae (Macroglossinae)

Thank you!

Photographs of Sphingidae

Clark's sphinx
Proserpinus clarkiae

Waved sphinx
Ceratomia undulosa

Bedstraw hawkmoth
Hyles gallii

Great ash sphinx
Sphinx chersis

Northern pine sphinx
Lapara bombycoides

Vashti sphinx
Sphinx vashti

Sage sphinx
Sphinx eremitoides

Pandorus Sphinx
Eumorpha pandorus

Virginia creeper sphinx
Darapsa myron

Laurel sphinx
Sphinx kalmiae

Falcon sphinx
Xylophanes falco

Vine sphinx
Eumorpha vitis

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Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Family Sphingidae (Sphinx Moths, Hawkmoths)

Subfamily: Sphinginae (Sphinginae)

Subfamily: Macroglossinae (Macroglossinae)

Thank you!

Photographs of Sphingidae

Clark's sphinxProserpinus clarkiae

Waved sphinxCeratomia undulosa

Bedstraw hawkmothHyles gallii

Great ash sphinxSphinx chersis

Northern pine sphinxLapara bombycoides

Vashti sphinxSphinx vashti

Sage sphinxSphinx eremitoides

Pandorus SphinxEumorpha pandorus

Virginia creeper sphinxDarapsa myron

Laurel sphinxSphinx kalmiae

Falcon sphinxXylophanes falco

Vine sphinxEumorpha vitis

Clark's sphinx
Proserpinus clarkiae

Waved sphinx
Ceratomia undulosa

Bedstraw hawkmoth
Hyles gallii

Great ash sphinx
Sphinx chersis

Northern pine sphinx
Lapara bombycoides

Vashti sphinx
Sphinx vashti

Sage sphinx
Sphinx eremitoides

Pandorus Sphinx
Eumorpha pandorus

Virginia creeper sphinx
Darapsa myron

Laurel sphinx
Sphinx kalmiae

Falcon sphinx
Xylophanes falco

Vine sphinx
Eumorpha vitis