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Hummingbird Moths, Sphinx Moths or Hawk MothsWhat’s this moth?
Hello there,
I live in Bakersfield, CA. When I was out at a horse farm, resting on a juniper was this very large moth, of which I have never seen before! I am trying to look it up, and I’m guessing it is a type of Sphinx, but was wondering which
kind, and abit of info. on it. Sure would love the help – it was so lovely! Sincerely,
Karen
Hi Karen,
Your Sphinx, Pachysphinx occidentalis, is called the Big Poplar Sphinx by Bill Oehlke, but we have also seen it called the Western Poplar Sphinx in other publications including BugGuide. It is found in riparian areas where the caterpillar food plants, willow and poplar grow. The species ranges in the western U.S. and Canada into Baja California. According to BugGuide, adults fly ifrom May to September in the southern part of the range, so we are guessing the unseasonal rains in California in fall 2007 have resulted in an early emergance this year.
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