spiderlike moth
Location: leechburg, pa
May 3, 2012 2:48 pm
This insect is on my window. I believe it is a moth but I have never seen a moth that has a torso of a spider. I live in a rural setting just north of Pittsburgh, PA.
Signature: wonderinginpa
Small Eyed Sphinx
Dear wongeringinpa,
Your moth is a Small Eyed Sphinx, one of the members of the family Sphingidae, commonly called Sphinx Moths or Hawkmoths. They are powerful fliers. You can read more about the Small Eyed Sphinx and its other relatives on the Sphingidae of the Americas website.
¶ Posted 04 May 2012 § ‡ ° Sphinx?
Location: South South East Texas (Surfside)
April 25, 2012 1:08 pm
I thought this was really cool, it looked like a jet. I think it’s some kind of sphinx moth. I know the pic isn’t great, but it’s the only one I have.
Signature: HereFishyFishy
Mournful Sphinx
Dear HereFishyFishy,
This somber Sphinx goes by the austere name Mournful Sphinx. Its shape is quite distinctive. You may read more about it on the Sphingidae of the Americas website.
¶ Posted 25 April 2012 § ‡ ° Moth Maybe?
Location: Temple Texas ( central texas)
April 11, 2012 7:59 pm
Not sure what kind of bug or moth this is. I have never seen a moth this big and with fur around the head. I took the pic last night April 11 2012 in Texas at a gas station.
Signature: Michelle
Sphinx Moth
Hi Michelle,
This is a Sphinx Moth in the genus Manduca. Moths are often attracted to lights at gas stations which are often quite bright and often there are no other lights in the vicinity if the gas station is on a stretch of road far from civilization. We find your photo quite amusing.
Thank you 
Haha I was quite scared of it since I have never seen a moth so big. I did not get my usual 93 and chose 87 a little farther away so I would not have to press the button he was sitting on. Michelle
¶ Posted 12 April 2012 § ‡ ° March 31, 2012
Mt. Washington, Los Angeles, CA
We are currently experiencing technical difficulty with the GMail account we use to read your many wonderful submissions and we are unable to access any email at this time. We hope you enjoy this photo of a White Lined Sphinx, Hyles lineata. It was attracted to the porch light outside of our offices. Julian Donahue frequently calls us on our especial fondness for a seldom used alternate name, the Striped Morning Sphinx. Charles Hogue who wrote Insects of the Los Angeles Basin uses the name Striped Morning Sphinx. This moth is frequently seen in the morning where it rests after being attracted to lights. We are not certain if Professor Amy Oliver will accept this as a portrait.
Striped Morning Sphinx
Update: Monday morning, April 2, our email service was restored.
Central Texas moth!
Location: San Marcos, Texas
March 27, 2012 4:46 pm
Hey bugman! I found this moth today, March 27, outside of my apartment in San Marcos. It reminded me a convolvulus hawk moth that I found once in the Amarillo area, but when I looked at the photos of that one, the patterns on the wings were quite different. I did some searching and thought it looked a lot like an underwing moth, but when I picked it up, it stretched out its wings and there was no bright coloring anywhere. So, what do you think? Thanks a bunch!
Signature: Brittani Wray
Carolina Sphinx
Hi Brittani,
Your moth reminds you of the Convolvulus Hawkmoth because it is in the same family, Sphingidae, the Hawkmoths or Sphinx Moths. Your moth is a Carolina Sphinx, Manduca sexta, a common species found across much of North America. You can read more about the Carolina Sphinx on BugGuide and on the Sphingidae of the Americas website. The Caterpillars are known as Tobacco Hornworms and they feed on the leaves of tomatoes, tobacco and related plants in the nightshade family.
¶ Posted 28 March 2012 § ‡ ° Identification Request: Thailand Caterpillar
March 22, 2012
Location: Thailand
Hi there! It’s with much fanfare that our caterpillar has emerged. We were surprised at how long it hung around (we think drying its wings). Picture attached.
Thank you so much for your help in our classroom.
Living in Thailand, I anticipate we’ll have a lot more pictures of critters to send your way in our quest to learn more about insects. Your website is fantastic.
Regards,
Teacher Becky
Oleander Hawkmoth
Dear Teacher Becky,
We are happy your students got to witness the eclosion of this lovely Oleander Hawkmoth. Thanks for providing a followup to your earlier letter.
¶ Posted 22 March 2012 § ‡ ° Moth-like creature
Location: NE Polk County, Florida
March 14, 2012 6:55 am
Photos taken March 6, 2012. On driveway of our home in NE Polk County, Florida.
Signature: John Corn
Tersa Sphinx
Dear John,
Your moth-like creature is a Tersa Sphinx, a member of the Sphinx Moth or Hawkmoth family Sphingidae. Sphinx Moths are known for their rapid flight and diurnal species are frequently mistaken for hummingbirds. With spring upon us in the northern hemisphere, we expect to be getting numerous more moth identification requests, especially Sphinx Moths and Giant Silkmoths because of their large size.
¶ Posted 14 March 2012 § ‡ ° Crazy Bug
Location: Near New Port Richie, FL
March 13, 2012 8:31 am
WTB? My sister took these pictures of this near a pond outside of her work. She said it is about 4 ft [sic] across? What in the world is this??
Signature: M.A.S.
Pandora Sphinx
Dear M.A.S.,
This beautiful and streamlined moth, Eumorpha pandorus, is commonly called a Pandora Sphinx. Thanks to a comment from Trevor, we would like to draw to your attention that this moth was most likely four INCHES across.
¶ Posted 13 March 2012 § ‡ ° 
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