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
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.
When I came out of work (on the Torrey Pines Mesa in La Jolla, CA) last night (04/20/09) around 7:30pm I saw hundreds of these White lined Sphinx (thanks for the id) feeding on some shrubs/flowers in front of my building. I had never seen them before, amazing to see so many at once. I could not believe how large some of them were, just like humming birds. I had no idea that there were moths that could beat their wings so fast and hover in one place like that…