Tersa Sphinx

Moth
July 25, 2009
I found what I believe to be a moth of some type. I don’t remember seeing one like before and was unable to identify it from your website. It was approx. two inches long and had the appearance of being covered with fur.
Richard
North Middle Tennessee, USA

Tersa Sphinx
Tersa Sphinx

Hi Richard,
This is a Tersa Sphinx, Xylophanes tersa
, one of the most aerodynamically engineered of the Sphinx Moths in the family Sphingidae, a family characterized by its members’ powerful flight capabilities.  You can read more about the Tersa Sphinx on Bill Oehlke’s awesome website.  We will be copying Bill on this response so he can add your sighting to the comprehensive data he is compiling on members of this family.

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