my backyard moth
I got the following information when I had sent in my moth photo taken in my backyard just north of Boston, MA. Using the information I got I stumbled on your site and LOVE it. Thought you might be interested and just MAYBE get you to guess. However, I can’t get the moth to show me its hindwings.
“It’s too bad I don’t know where your backyard is. Read on… It is either the banded sphinx, Eumorpha fasciata, or the vine sphinx, Eumorpha vitis. The way to distinguish them is to examine some very small features of the hindwings, which you photo does not show. Vine sphinx is found all over eastern North America, while the banded sphinx would be very rare in the northern half of North America. That’s why I was wondering where your backyard is–it might almost rule out the banded sphinx, even without seeing the hindwings. John Snyder
Dept. of Biology
Furman University
Greenville, SC USA”
Sorry, but the photo was not attached, Anne [in Massachusetts]

HI Anne,
As rank amateurs, we are hardly in a position to disagree with experts at a University. That said, we checked the USGS report listed on Bill Oehlke’s excellent website and have come to an agreement with Professor Snyder that the Vine Sphinx is more likely because it is not listed as common in Massachusetts, only as a confirmed sighting. However, according to the illustration in our very old Holland Guide, the wing pattern visible on the upper wings does seem a closer match to the Banded Sphinx. We could go either way given that the moth is confirmed in Massachusetts. Though we don’t want to disagree with Professor Snyder, if you had sent this in without his comments, we would have probably identified it as a Banded Sphinx.

Can you please tell me what this moth is called? It seems to love my screen door. Thank you.
Betty

Hi Betty,
This beautiful Hawkmoth is Cerisy’s Sphinx.

Sphinx Moth
Hi. I took this photo of a Sphinx Moth feeding on our petunias during the night. What kind of Sphinx Moth is this one? Thank you.
Craig

Hi Craig,
Beautiful Pink Spotted Hawkmoth image. We also had one posted on our homepage today. If it was a snake, it would have bit you.

Rustic Sphinx Moth
Hi there!
I got this great shot of what I believe to be a Rustic Sphinx Moth. It was feeding at "near dark" on a ginger flower in Baton Rouge, LA, 09/10/2005. It was incredible! The tongue must be 6 inches long.
Robin

Hi Robin,
This is a wonderful image of a Rustic Sphinx, Manduca rustica. These are very large moths. The tongue, or more properly, the proboscis, is long and coiled and probably does approach six inches in length.

What Bug
Hi there,
I took this picture tonight in southern Ontario. I’m not sure what kind on moth this is. could you please identify this for me.
Thank you
Sonja Fagnan

Hi Sonja,
We really must keep a photo of the Hummingbird Clearwing Moth on our homepage all summer. We are putting yours, which is very nice, at the top right now.

HUGE BEAST!
Hi there,
We found this beastie clinging to our wine bottles one morning, any chance you could clarify its species? We guessed at a Modest Sphinx. Do you think it is unusual for this to be found in the UK? I see from your site that it is really only native to US and Canada. I look forward to your response.
Many thanks,
Natasha Ewers.

Hi Natasha,
This looks very similar to the U.S. Modest Sphinx, but I have located a site dedicated to British Hawkmoths that lists it as a Poplar Sphinx. So, they have the same food plant. They seem to be closely related despite having different genus names. Perhaps some taxonomy needs to be done here. Here is what the site reports: “Poplar Hawk-Moth (Laothoe populi ) The most frequently seen of all the reserve’s hawk-moths and may be on the wing from late May until early August. The peak period though is July, when moth-trapping sessions can produce 5-10 on a single night. The larvae are probably dependant on either white poplar or sallow as a foodplant. “