moth id
Location: South Coast NSW Australia
November 1, 2011 9:45 am
can you id this moth for me.
Thanks Bugman, from Frosty
Signature: Frosty
Coprosma Hawkmoth
Hi Frosty,
Finding the correct identification for your Hawkmoth in the family Sphingidae proved a bit of a challenge for us this morning, but we finally identified your Coprosma Hawkmoth, Cizara ardeniae, when we found a match on the Butterfly Housewebsite. We also found some photos of the Coprosma Hawkmoth from 2009 in our archives. The Coprosma Hawkmoth appeared on an Australian postage stamp in 1991. The stamp is used to picture this species on Csiro.
Australian Postage Stamp 1991
G’day Daniel 
Mega thanks for your great detective work,.,one last thing now I know the critters name.
Is the Coprosma Hawkmoth, Cizara ardeniae a commonly occurring moth or is it an endangered species.
I live in Sanctuary Point, about 230 klm south of Sydney.
I haven’t seen this moth before.
I normally feed most moths to my wild bird visitors, but not if it is rare.
We believe it probably falls between common and endangered.
large gray moth
Location: Florida
November 1, 2011 11:45 am
We saw this large moth on a barrier island beach in central Florida in late August, it appeared to be resting (on a sign post), had no color that we could see even when it fluttered – maybe about 3 inches long – what could it be? Thank you.
Signature: icegull
Tetrio Sphinx Moth
Dear icegull,
This is a Sphinx Moth or Hawkmoth in the family Sphingidae. We are having difficulty finding a match on the excellent Sphingidae of the Americas website despite browsing through the species reported from Florida. It looks similar to the Catalpa Sphinx, Ceratomia catalpae, but not exactly. We will try to contact Bill Oehlke to see if he can provide a species name for us.
Bill Oehlke responds
HI Daniel,
It is a female Pseudosphinx tetrio, The Tetrio Sphinx. The female is considerably paler than the male.
Can you have the person who submitted image contact me for image use and more precise location?
Thanks.
Thank you so much and thanx for the link to the website. I saw a Black Witch Moth in July for the 1st time, and when I saw this guy it peaked my curiosity about moths in general. I’m already a birder so moths & butterflies & insects in general are the next frontier. Unlike birds tho I did have to do some digging to find sources that were user friendly & helpful, then I found you guys. I look forward to which sphinx it is. Thanx again.
Permission to use pix granted. It was seen August 19th this year at Ft Desoto Park within the bird sanctuary (along the beach), south Pinellas County, Florida. Thank you so much!
¶ Posted 02 November 2011 § ‡ ° Moth in the Everglades
Location: Everglades, Florida
October 24, 2011 9:09 pm
Hello, I took this photo while on a slog through the Everglades (mid-October). Could you help me identify it?
Signature: Jim Poyser
Mournful Sphinx
Hi Jim,
Your somber moth, Enyo lugubris, goes by the common name the Mournful Sphinx. The Sphingidae of the Americas website is always a great place to identify Sphinx Moths from the family Sphingidae. The species is found in the southernmost portions of North America as well as the tropics of Central and South America. According to BugGuide, it is found in “Forests, edges, presumably.”
¶ Posted 25 October 2011 § ‡ ° Camouflage Moth?
Location: Elmhurst, IL
October 12, 2011 11:40 am
I just saw a bug that looks like a camouflaged moth. I have never seen anything like it. it is about 4 inches long and maybe 5 inches wide. It looked like a big leaf on the ground until we looked closer.
Signature: Michael B.
Pandora Sphinx
Dear Michael,
The Pandora Sphinx is really an amazing looking moth.
1
¶ Posted 14 October 2011 § ‡ ° Really bug Moth?
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
October 3, 2011 1:50 pm
Stepped outside this afternoon and this guy was sitting on the porch. It looks like a moth to me but is the size of a hummingbird. I’ve seen some strange bugs since moving here and this one is top of the list.
Signature: VG
Fig Sphinx
Dear VG,
Judging by the wear and tear on the wings and the missing scales, this Fig Sphinx is not a young individual. You can see the Sphingidae of the Americas for some wonderful information on the Fig Sphinx. In flight, Sphinx Moths are often mistaken for hummingbirds.
1
¶ Posted 04 October 2011 § ‡ ° Achemon Sphinx Moth
Location: Cheney Kansas
September 21, 2011 9:03 pm
I decided to raise these five caterpillars that were feeding on my grapevines…So I purchased a cheap aquarium and collected the Cats from the vine.
I then fed them new grapevine leaves each day for about a week…They one by one burrowed underground..about 6 to 8 days later they finaly pupated.
This is the results of my 2 week experiment with these catepillars.
Signature: Chris Harris
Achemon Sphinx Caterpillar
Hi Chris,
We are positively thrilled to post your photos documenting the metamorphosis of the Achemon Sphinx. Your project should inspire our readers to attempt a similar endeavor in order to learn more about the creatures around us.
Pupae of the Achemon Sphinx
Your photos are quite nice, and we especially like the image of the caterpillar of the Achemon Sphinx.
Achemon Sphinx
1
whazzit?
Location: Virginia
September 9, 2011 7:07 pm
We have not been able to identify this flying insect. It was on our butterfly bush, along with some bumblebees. The season is late summer and we live in Virginia, on the east coast, near the Chesapeake Bay.
The proboscis and the ”furry feet” are most intriguing!
The wings move so quickly that it was difficult to focus. Thank goodness, we don’t know if it is a stinging bug.
Thanks for any information.
Signature: Sallye & Robert
Snowberry Clearwing Moth
Hi Sallye & Robert,
There are three species of diurnal Sphinx Moths in the genus Hemaris that are found in Virginia, and we believe you have photographed the Bumblebee Moth or Snowberry Clearwing Moth, Hemaris diffinis, based on this description from the Sphingidae of the Americas website: “Hemaris diffinis is a very variable species, but almost always the abdomen sports contrasting black and yellow hairs, the ventral surface being quite black. The legs also tend to be quite dark and there is a black mask running across the eye and along the sides of the thorax.”
1
¶ Posted 10 September 2011 § ‡ ° Death’s Head Sphinx Moth …or not??
Location: Ridgefield, CT
September 6, 2011 3:12 pm
Hi Bugman!
Here’s a photo of the Sphinx Moth that came to my front porch two nights ago. I never trap bugs, but he was so large (4 ins.) and unusual I decided to save him for a few hours til my kids awakened and could see him. We released him at dusk the next day and he flew away in fine fettle.
I ask for an id because I read that the Death’s Head Moth is not native and not found here, but this is clearly that moth, and certainly bears the little skull that I see in pix. Also a little freaky… Help!
Signature: Helen Epley
Pink Spotted Hawkmoth
Good morning Helen,
Many of the Sphinx Moths bear patterns on the thoracic area that can be anthropomorphized as looking like a skull, however, the pattern on the Death’s Head Moth is much more pronounced than it is in this lovely Pink Spotted Hawkmoth, Agrias cingulata, a species that has been reported in much of North America as well as Central and South America. You may read more about its habits on the Sphingidae of the Americas website. BugGuidelists its range as: “resident from southern United States to northern South America; migrates in late summer occasionally to northern states, rarely to British Columbia and southeastern Canada, and very rarely to west coast of Europe also resident in Galapagos Islands and Hawaii, and migrates in southern summer from northern South America to Argentina and Falkland Islands.”
Pink Spotted Hawkmoth
Thank you sooo much! I saw the pink-spotted hawkmoth photos but couldn’t see any sort of skull in those particular photos, so I imagined the most exciting outcome!!
LOVE the site.
Helen Epley
1
¶ Posted 08 September 2011 § ‡ ° 
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