I found this moth this afternoon on the house near the azalea bushes. I’m afraid I wasn’t able to hold the camera absolutely steady, but I think you can still see most of the detail. We live outside of Savannah, GA in Pooler. The body measures 3 inches as do the wings across the widest point – at the bottom. It looks similar to the unidentified hawkmoth on your page. I have also had what I think are some tomato hornworms on my tomato plants. Thank you for any information you may be able to provide. Your website is fascinating. We have a lot of interesting bugs around here, so when I see others that look unusual, I will send you more photos.
Celeste
Hi Celeste,
You have sent in a photo of a Lesser Vine Sphinx, Eumorpha fasciatus. Jim Tuttle has just brought this correction to our attention. The moth is common in the Gulf States and southward, but is sometimes reported from as far north as Massachusetts.
Looked like a leaf
Found this bug sitting on the side of our building. At first, I just thought it was a leaf. Then I realized it wasn’t . Very nice disguise. Hope the pictures are clear enough to identify it.
Ellen Bouse
Hi Ellen,
The Satellite Sphinx, Pholus satellitia, has a form Pholus pandorus, which is your moth. According to Holland: “This insect which is widely distributed throughout the eastern United States, and ranges northward into southern Canada, is well-known to all growers of vines.” The caterpillar, a hornworm, can do damage to the vineyard.
¶ Posted 05 July 2004 § ‡ ° Pretty Pretty
Hi! Great site! I live in Kona, Hawaii and I love moths. We have gorgeous black witches everywhere. But the other day, we came home and found a moth on our driveway!!! I have never seen it before and I have checked through my moth books and can’t seem to find it. Can you tell me what it is and if it is native to Hawaii? I have been here 13 years and NEVER seen one! Thanks!
Tracee
I just emailed you, I forgot to tell you it’s stats! It was about the size of my palm (which I have a photo fo too I think, I will attach it). It was a very vibrant green with whites, rose, and purple. It was very fuzzy and it let me pick it up on it’s leaf. It had eye’s at the top of the wings (you can see them kinda in the other photo I sent).
Hi Tracee,
You have sent in a photograph of Deilephila [Daphnis] nerii, the Oleander Hawk Moth. It feeds on oleander as well as periwinkle. Here is a site that identifies Hawaiian Hawk Moths. The Oleander Sphinx is also reported in Great Britain, where it strays occasionally from the Mediterranean. It is also reported in Hong Kong and Africa.
¶ Posted 04 July 2004 § ‡ ° Hi,
I’m hoping you can tell me what this is…I live in Central Wisconsin and it was right by my door in the early evening last night – scared me to death! It seemed to be about 4 inches wide by 3 inches long. Do I need to be afraid?
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks, Rebecca
Don’t be afraid Rebecca.
You have been visited by a Big Poplar Sphinx, Pachysphinx modesta. It is something of a special case, since it is the only member of its genus, though there is a second variety, Pachysphinx modesta occidentalis which lives in the far west and is lighter in color. The moth is a member of the Hawkmoth family, Sphingidae. The moth ranges over much of the U.S. and as far south as Northern Mexico. The caterpillars feed on poplar and willow.
Hi Daniel,
Thanks for your quick response. I’ve never seen a moth that big! Without the wings spread I wasn’t sure what it was – I was just hoping it wasn’t some kind of bat. I was looking at the website – Moths of North America – and then selected Wisconsin and the Sphingidae family to see if I could find the Big Poplar Sphinx and it’s not there. I tried finding it before emailing you but didn’t know where to begin. Any idea why it’s not listed? How common is it to see one of these moths? I love your site and since I just moved to 3 acres in the country I will be coming back often. Thanks for all your help.
Rebecca
¶ Posted 02 July 2004 § ‡ ° Rare Moth, or travelled from North Africa?
I enclose photos of a ‘bug’ which arrived at my house yesterday, 01/07/04, in Finistere, North France. Nobody around here has ever seen anything like it. It measures 4 cm long by 5 cm across the wings. The colouring is pink and khaki. It also seems to have a barb at its rear end. Photos taken in a Jam Jar. Any ideas??
Roland Langridge
Hi Roland,
The jam jar makes the moth difficult to see, and my moth guide does not include European species, so I cannot give you a positive identification. I can tell you it is a Hawkmoth, a member of the Family Sphingidae. The family has a worldwide distribution, and some species are quite common. It is a relative of the Tomato Hornworm, that large green caterpillar hated by home gardeners.
Update: ID thanks to Mardikavana
August 4, 2009
It should be an Elephant Hawk Moth Deilephila elpenor.
Thanks Markikavana,
With all the new mail we answer, we don’t really have the time to sift through the archives for old questions. We really appreciate the assistance on this Elephant Hawkmoth identification. We are linking to the Sphingidae of the Eastern Palaearctic to provide our readers with more information. Since this letter, we have correctly identified several specimens of Deilephila elpenor.
¶ Posted 02 July 2004 § ‡ ° Two moths
Hello,
I am a college student at York College of PA in central Pennsylvania, not far from the Maryland border. I am currently working at the college for the summer, and yesterday I saw something very strange when I was outside on my lunch break. Two moths like none I’ve ever seen before were just sitting around on the concrete right near each other, but they were two very different-looking species. They were about the same size (two inches across), but one was white with black spots and the other was army green with orange on the insides of his wings. I was worried about them, so I tried to move them into the grass for safety’s sake. The white and black moth went into the grass willingly, but the green one flew around and I didn’t try to catch it. Today I ate my lunch in the same spot, and although the white and black moth was gone, the green one was still around- all day. Today after work, I gently packaged him up and brought him home so I could take some pictures, which I have sent to you.
I am worried about the green moth. He’s been very lethargic, even when I was handling him, and he is currently downstairs on my porch in the same spot I placed him when I brought him home. I wish I could have gotten a picture of the other moth. He looked very similar to the Eyed Tiger Moth on your site… I’m about 75% sure that’s what he was. However, isn’t it strange to see one in central Pennsylvania? Anyway, this brings me to my two big questions. First, can you tell me what type of moth is in the pictures I have sent you? I can’t seem to figure it out and I’ve looked everywhere. Second, and more importantly, do you have any idea what these two little guys would be doing hanging out TOGETHER on pavement in the middle of the day in central PA? It just seemed so strange and unnatural to see them in this way. Is it common to see something like this, or could they have been, like, specimens that escaped from somewhere?
Eliza
Hi Eliza,
Your letter is so sweet. First question is your olive drab moth. It is an Azalea Sphinx, Darapsa pholus, and is quite common in Pennsylvania. The caterpillar feeds on viburnum and azalea. Regarding the other moth. It sounds like some type of Tiger Moth. The Eyed Tiger Moth, Ecpantheria deflorata, is rare in New England, but ranges south from there. It is common in the Carolinas. Pennsylvania is part of their normal range. The two moths may have been attracted to a nearby light and just found themselves on the sidewalk at dawn. Moths are not long lived, and your Azalea Sphinx may have just been nearing the end of a long, for an insect, life.
Thank you so much! Good news about greenie though- he was flying around last night and I hope to see him gone this morning.
Eliza
¶ Posted 01 July 2004 § ‡ ° I found this bug feeding at my lilacs in southcentral Alaska . I have never seen anything like it. I thought at first it was a bee, But others said it must be a moth. I am looking for something more definite. I have several other pictures of this critter from several angles, as it hovered quite calmly while I snapped away. Can you shed some light?
Hi Dorothy,
Your photo shows a moth from the genus Haemorrhagia, possibly H. axillaris, known as the Snowberry Clearwing, or H. thetis which is reported to range from Colorado and Wyoming west and north to Oregon and British Columbia. These moths belong to the Family Sphingidae, or Hawk Moths, also called Sphinx Moths. The clearwings are a day flying group.
Thanks. It was from your web page that I got excited believing that you would probably have the answer! I was wondering if Alaska is a bit north for its range. We definitely have the flowers needed to attract the moth. But we have a short season compared to others and a really cold climate for a longer time. Also we have extremes of light and dark. Since this a day flying moth, no doubt it loves the summers. Guess it survives the winters as well. I will keep trying to contact folks in the University here to see how common this fellow is.
Dorothy A. Hight
¶ Posted 25 June 2004 § ‡ ° Hummingbird Moth
When we first spotted this moth, we thought we were watching a baby hummingbird. I was curious about the legs and antennae and started doing some research. I still have not been able to locate a species that matches this one yet. Perhaps you can help identify. Moth was photographed feeding on creeping phlox in Granite Falls , North Carolina.
Thanks,
Greg Good
Dear Greg Good,
It looks to me like a Nessus Sphinx, Amphion nessus. The indicating features are the small head, and plump body. Also the two white stripes on the abdomen and the tuft at the tip. According to Holland: “It ranges from Canada to Georgia and westward to Wyoming. It flies in the daytime on cloudy days and in the late afternoon before sunset. The caterpillar feeds on Ampelopsis and the wild grape.”
¶ Posted 10 April 2004 § ‡ ° 
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