It looks like a fighter plane
Sun, Jun 21, 2009 at 12:55 AM
this was spotted in london last night whilst filling my car with fuel. it looks like a mini stealth fighter plane with a thick scorpion like stinger on its back. it wasnt bothered by me being there and remained totally still.
very creepy, never seen anything as aggressive looking as this, it had defined camouflage patterns and a a streamlined look.
what is it, how rare is it? should i have put it in a jar and kept it?
David
London, England

Lime Hawk Moth

Hi David,
This is a Lime Hawkmoth, Mimas tiliae, and according to the UKMoths Website it is:  “A reasonably common species in the southern half of Britain, it was most frequent in the London area, where there are still extensive tree-lined avenues. In recent years its distribution has spread northwards and is now regularly found well into North Yorkshire and beyond. “  The larvae, which are known as Hornworms, feed on lime, alder, birch and elm tree leaves.  We do not believe you should have put it in a jar and kept it.  Though we are not opposed to keeping insects in jars long enough to observe them, we believe they are best when left in the wild.  We have had other members of the Sphinx or Hawk Moth family Sphingidae referred to as stealth bombers because of their appearance.

Hummingbird moth?
Mon, Jun 15, 2009 at 9:16 PM
Hello bugman,
This moth flew into my friends sun room last week. It was pretty big, about the size of a hummingbird. It sounded like one, too. I was thinking it could be some type of hummingbird moth, but I’m not sure. Please let me know what type of bug this is. Thanks.
Danielle
Denver, Colorado

Nessus Sphinx

Hi Danielle,
Moths in the family Sphingidae are commonly referred to as Hawkmoths or Sphinxes, and Hummingbird Moths are a common name for the Clearwing diurnal moths in the tribe Dilophonotini, a subcategory of the Sphingidae.  Your moth is a Nessus Sphinx, Amphion floridensis, which despite its name, has a much greater range than just the state of Florida.  The Nessus Sphinx is also a diurnal species and it is frequently mistaken for a hummingbird, as are many of the Sphinxes, especially when they hover near flowers gathering nectar.  You may read more about the Nessus Sphinx on Bill Oehlke’s awesome website.

Newly Emerged Poplar Sphinx?
Fri, May 29, 2009 at 8:09 PM
Hi–This morning there was quite a ruckus in our back yard, as the cat had apparently found a very newly-emerged Sphinx Moth. At first I thought it was a mouse or hummingbird (when I found it it was crawling on the cement, with the cat trying to pounce on it, much to my horror). I threw the cat inside and got some garden gloves and gently scooped him (her?) up and set him in the hanging fucshia for safety. I took pix throughout the day. It was still there around 6pm. I’m attaching 3 pix from this morning, afternoon, and evening. I think the markings on the right wing might be from the cat….
Kel Casey
Coronado, CA

Western Poplar Sphinx

Dear Kel,
There are two moths that may be confused that go by the common name Poplar Sphinx. Your moth is the Big Poplar Sphinx, Pachysphinx occidentalis, that is found in western North America. A similar and closely related species is the Modest Sphinx, Pachysphinx modesta, is sometimes called the Poplar Sphinx, but this is an eastern North American species. Here is what Bill Oehlke’s website has to say: “Pachysphinx modesta , the Poplar Sphinx or Modest Sphinx ranges through southern portions of all Canadian provinces and is found in the eastern half of the U.S. from Maine to northern Florida. James P. Tuttle has range maps showing it as far west as eastern Washington southward to extreme northeastern New Mexico. Most of the western specimens appear to be P. occidentalis , and I would not be surprised if there is some natural hybridization in the western states. “

Western Poplar Sphinx

BugGuide also has this information: “There is confusion regarding the common name. Holland’s 1904 publication, Covell’s Guide, and the recent Audubon Guide calls P. modesta the Big Poplar Sphinx but that name is used only for P. occidentalis by the Butterflies and Moths of North America site and several other sources. Since both species are called Big Poplar Sphinx by various sources, it would be less confusing if that name were not used at all, and replaced with either Modest Sphinx (for P. modesta ) or Western Poplar Sphinx (for P. occidentalis ).
The Modest Sphinx ( Pachysphinx modesta ) occurs coast to coast in North America, whereas the Western Poplar Sphinx ( P. occidentalis ) is restricted to western North America. “

Thanks so much. He was pretty big. I remember last year seeing a much smaller version of almost the same thing, so wasn’t sure. We do have a couple of poplar trees on and near our property.
I like the Latin name of Pachysphinx– translated to elephant sphinx?
Thanks again.
Kel

Beautiful moth
Sun, May 10, 2009 at 11:34 AM
Hello,
I discovered a beautiful, green moth near the front door this afternoon. I live in the Netherlands and I’ve never spotted a moth like this. Could you tell me what kind of moth this is? And is it common in the area I live in? Thank you very much.
Martijn Wagenaar
Harlingen, The Netherlands

Lime Hawkmoth

Hi Martijn,
This is the second photo we posted this week of a Lime Hawkmoth, Mimas tiliae.  The first example was from England.  You can read more about this lovely moth on the UK Moths website.

Very Large Grey / Brown Moth
Wed, May 6, 2009 at 8:29 PM
I found this Moth flying outside my sliding glass window tonight. I had just gotten home at 9 pm and turned on the porch light and noticed this thing was trying to get in. I thought it was a small bird at the beginning but then saw it was a moth of some sort. It is in the mid 70’s right now and moist outside. I did spray fir bugs today outside the perimeter of my home. Please help, I hate bugs.
I would say this thing is a good 2.5 inches in length . Scarey.
Thanks Wendy
Santa Clarita, Ca

Big Poplar Sphinx

Hi Wendy,
How lucky you are to have seen a Big Poplar Sphinx, Pachysphinx occidentalis occidentalis, which is found in western North America from Canada to Baja California.  It truly is a magnificent moth.  You can read more about it on Bill Oehlke’s excellent website.

Huge Moth Southern California
Mon, Apr 20, 2009 at 3:57 PM
I have only seen four of these guys my whole life, in So Cal… I always wondered what the genus is… they are HUGE!!!!
Katt
West Hills, Ca

White Lined Sphinx

Hi Katt,
The White Lined Sphinx or Striped Morning Sphinx, Hyles lineata, is one of the most common Sphinx Moths in the U.S., being found in all lower 48 states.  Periodically, in the desert regions of the Southwest, there are tremendous population explosions of both the caterpillars, which are edible, and the adult moths.  Just last week, we had 8 moths on our screen door because we often leave the light on in Los Angeles.