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Sphinx, methinks
Daniel,
Thanks for confirming my Cecropia silkmoth yesterday. It’s by far the most impressive moth I’d ever seen. Today, I have a couple of new ones (my wife Carol seems to have a knack for spotting unusual insects and bugs in her garden). Based on a photo from your site, I think the first is a tobacco sphinx moth. It’s about 3.5 inches from wingtip to wingtip as shown (I estimate 4 – 5 inches if fully extended). I believe that the second is also a variety of sphinx moth, but I wasn’t able to find a match on your site. As shown, it’s about 2 inches wingtip to wingtip (estimate 3 – 3.5 extended). The abdomen is a mottled gray above with no distinctive markings. The underside is a lighter gray with a series of dark spots of varying sizes along the midline. I was unable to get the moth to show me its hind wings without it fluttering around out of control. My family and I would appreciate an ID if you can. Many thanks, and a great site.
Larry
Union Bridge, MD

Tobacco Sphinx	Waved Sphinx

Hi again Larry,
You are absolutely correct on the Tobacco Sphinx or Tomato Hornworm, Manduca sexta. That is a Grapevine Beetle lurking in the background. Your second Sphinx we believe to be the Waved Sphinx, Ceratomia undulosa. We located it on this Moths of North America site. It feeds on ash, oak and hawthorn and other trees.

Daniel,
Thanks for your reply and the link to the super NPWRC site. I noted that their site doesn’t list any confirmed sightings in my county for any of the moths you helped me identify, so I’m forwarding my photos to them as well.
Thanks again.
Larry

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