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Moth? Approx 2 1/2 inches high
August 3, 2009
Hi! Hope you can help Identify this moth hanging out on the wall outside our door in Biddeford, Maine. Approx 2 1/2 inches high. House is surrounded by woods, a lot of pines. I’ve searched through sphynx moth info, but couldn’t find anything that seemed to match! Thanks!
Suzie in Maine
Biddeford Maine

Blinded Sphinx

Hi Suzie,
Your moth is a Blinded Sphinx, Paonias excaecata, and you may read more about the species on Bill Oehlke’s awesome website.  We are currently working on our book chapter tentatively titled Entomology and Etymology and we are quite intrigued with how insects get their common and scientific names.  This is known as the Blinded Sphinx because there are no “pupils” in the “eyespots” on the lower wings which are not visible in your photo.  Many moths have these eyespots.  If a bird or other predator disturbs the resting moth, it will reveal the lower wings with the spots and hopefully startle the predator into thinking the prey is much larger than it really is and that it is possibly about to eat the predator.

Related Posts

1. Blinded Sphinx and Big Poplar Sphinx (July 7, 2006)
2. Blinded Sphinx Moth (July 4, 2006)
3. Blinded Sphinx (July 5, 2007)
4. Blinded Sphinx (August 15, 2007)
5. probably Blinded Sphinx Caterpillar (October 29, 2008)