Craighead County, and Other Northeastern Arkansas Counties:
Sharp, Randolph, Clay, Lawrence, Greene, Independence,
Jackson, Poinsett, Mississippi
Sphingidae

Hemaris diffinis, Marion, Crittenden County, Arkansas,
September 2, 2006, courtesy of Paul Ford.

Xylophanes tersa, Jonesboro, Craighead County, Arkansas,
July 20, 2015, courtesy of Will Green.

Xylophanes tersa, Jonesboro, Craighead County, Arkansas,
July 20, 2015, courtesy of Will Green.

This page is dedicated to Edwin F. Price of Jonesboro, Craighead County, for his abiding interest in Lepidoptera.

Twenty-nine Sphingidae species are listed for Arkansas on the U.S.G.S. website (now BAMONA). Not all of the species are reported or anticipated in Craighead County (none on USGS). It is hoped that this checklist, with the thumbnails and notes, will help you quickly identify the moths you are likely to encounter.

Moths that I expect may be in Craighead County, although not officially recorded, are indicated by a "WO".

Please help me develop this list with improved, documented accuracy by sending sightings (species, date, location), preferably with an electronic image, via email to Bill Oehlke.

Visit Craighead County Sphingidae Larvae: Caterpillars.

Visit Sphingidae of the Americas for Sphingidae checklists for all states in US, all provinces in Canada, Mexico and all countries in Central and South America.

Visit Arkansas Catocala: Underwing Moths.

The night-blooming moon flower will attract many Sphingidae at dusk and into the night.

Although this page was initially created to cover only Craighead County, it also serves as a valid checklist for the counties listed below as per BAMONA, October 1, 2018:

Sharp: none listed as of October 2, 2018
Randolph: none listed as of October 2, 2018
Clay: none listed as of October 2, 2018
Lawrence: none listed as of October 2, 2018
Greene (1): Dolba hyloeus Pawpaw sphinx
Independence: none listed as of October 2, 2018
Jackson: none listed as of October 2, 2018
Poinsett: none listed as of October 2, 2018
Mississippi: none listed as of October 2, 2018.

For some reason there has been very little reporting from northeastern Arkansas. I believe all of the following species are likely present in the counties listed above.

Many thanks to Will Green who sends me the first images I have received from Craighead County.

Agrius cingulata, Jonesboro, Craighead County, Arkansas,
August 27, 2015, courtesy of Will Green.

Eumorpha faciatus, Jonesboro, Craighead County, Arkansas,
September 30, 2018, courtesy of Will Green.

Sphinginae subfamily Sphingini tribe: Agrius cingulata, WO/WG Pink-spotted hawkmoth, This species is a strong migrant and adults nectar from deep-throated flowers including moonflower (Calonyction aculeatum), morning glory (Convolvulus), honey suckle (Lonicera) and petunia (Petunia species). Agrius cingulata; Jonesboro, August 27, 2015, Will Green. Ceratomia amyntor WO, the Elm Sphinx or Four-horned Sphinx The upperside of the forewing is brown with dark brown and white markings including a white costal area near the wing base, dark streaks along the veins, and a white spot in the cell. Larvae feed on Elm (Ulmus), birch (Betula), basswood (Tilia), and cherry (Prunus). Ceratomia catalpae WO, the Catalpa Sphinx The upperside of the forewing is yellowish brown with no white markings, but there are indistinct black lines and dashes. The cell spot is gray with a black outline. The larvae feed in large groups and are much more spectacular than the moths. Catalpa is the larval host. Ceratomia hageni WO, Hagen's Sphinx or Osage Orange Sphinx The upperside of the forewing is gray with a green tint and has dark indistinct wavy lines, and pale gray patches at the wing tip and along the costa. Ceratomia undulosa WO, the Waved Sphinx The upperside of the forewing is pale brownish gray with wavy black and white lines and a black-outlined white cell spot. The upperside of the hindwing is gray with diffuse darker bands. Dolba hyloeus WO/Greene, the Pawpaw Sphinx The upperside of the forewing is dark brown with a dusting of white scales. Some moths have patches of reddish or yellowish brown on the wings. Manduca quinquemaculata WO, the Five-spotted Hawkmoth I suspect if you grow tomatoes, you are likely to encounter Manduca quinquemaculata. Manduca rustica WO, the Rustic Sphinx Look for three large yellow spots on each side of the abdomen. The upperside of the forewing is yellowish brown to deep chocolate brown with a dusting of white scales and zigzagged black and white lines. Manduca sexta WO, the Carolina Sphinx If you grow tomatoes, you have probably encountered Manduca sexta in the larval stage. Larvae get very large and can strip a tomato plant. Paratrea plebeja WO, the Plebeian Sphinx The upperside of the forewing is gray with indistinct black and white markings. There is a series of black dashes from the base to the tip, and a small white cell spot. Sphinx canadensis WO, Sphinx canadensis, the Canadian Sphinx, is not common, and is not often reported anywhere, but it might be present in Crittenden County. Larval hosts are white ash (Fraxinus americana) and blueberry (Vaccinium). Sphinx chersis WO, the Northern Ash Sphinx or Great Ash Sphinx This species might be present in Crittenden County. Larval hosts are ash, lilac, privet, cherry, and quaking aspen. Sphinx drupiferarum WO, the Wild Cherry Sphinx Forewings, long and slender, are held close to the body when the moth is at rest. Sphinx franckii WO, Franck's Sphinx Moth The costal half of the forewings are grey, but the posterior portion is a distinctive warm yellowish-brown; the boundary between these two areas is marked with a series of dark diagonal streaks. Similar to S. kalmiae but lacks the dark bar along the fw inner margin. Sphinx kalmiae WO, the Laurel Sphinx The lower forewings are predominantly brownish-yellow with a fairly wide dark bar along the inner margin. At rest the wings hug the body, giving the moth a long slender look. Smerinthini Tribe: Amorpha juglandis WO, the Walnut Sphinx The adults are also highly variable; sometimes wings of an individual may be all one color or may have several colors, ranging from pale to dark brown, and may have a white or pink tinge. Patterns range from faint to pronounced. See the file for the female; she is different. Pachysphinx modesta WO, the Modest Sphinx or Poplar Sphinx They are common on Prince Edward Island, and are a possibility for Craighead County. Paonias astylus WO, the Huckleberry Sphinx Generally, Paonias astylus, the Huckleberry Sphinx (wingspan 55-65 mm), ranges from Maine south to Florida, west to Missouri and Mississippi. Paonias excaecata WO, the Blinded Sphinx Named for the dull grey-blue spot (minus dark pupil) in the hindwing, this moth has a wide distribution in the eastern United States. I regularly see them on Prince Edward Island, and they are reported as far south as Florida. Paonias myops WO, the Small-eyed Sphinx Named for the small eye-spot in the hindwing, this moth has a wide distribution and is probably found in many Arkansas counties. I regularly see them on Prince Edward Island, and they are reported as far south as Florida. Smerinthus jamaicensis WO, the Twin-spotted Sphinx This moth is widely distributed and fairly common. Along the East Coast, it flies from P.E.I. to Florida. Macroglossinae subfamily Dilophonotini tribe: Aellopos fadus WO, the Fadus Sphinx. The body is dark brown with a wide white stripe across the abdomen. The forewing has two bands of pale spots and lacks a black spot (typical of clavipes and titan) at the end of the cell. very rare stray Aellopos titan WO, the Titan Sphinx. The body is dark brown with a wide white stripe across the abdomen. The wings are dark brown. It is very similar to above species, but the upperside of the forewing has a black spot at the end of the cell and two bands of translucent white spots. stray See Hemaris comparison to help distinguish the next two species. Hemaris thysbe WO, the Hummingbird Clearwing It is not difficult to see why many gardeners would mistake an Hemaris thysbe moth for a small hummingbird as it hovers, sipping nectar from flowers through a long feeding tube. Hemaris diffinis WO, the Snowberry Clearwing or Bumblebee Moth Adults mimic bumblebees and are quite variable. The wings are basically clear, with dark brown to brownish-orange veins, bases and edges. The thorax is golden-brown to dark greenish-brown. The abdomen tends to be dark (black) with 1-2 yellow segments before the tip. Philampelini tribe: Eumorpha achemon WO, the Achemon Sphinx Larvae get large and feed on grape vines and Virginia creeper. Note the differences between this moth and the Pandorus Sphinx. Eumorpha fasciatus WO/WG, the Banded Sphinx The upperside of the moth is dark pinkish brown. Each forewing has a lighter brown band along the costa, and sharp pinkish white bands and streaks. Larvae feed upon primrose-willow, Ludwigia (water primrose) and other plants in the evening primrose family. Eumorpha fasciatus mature larva, Jonesboro, Craighead County, September 30 - October 3, 2018, Will Green Eumorpha pandorus WO, the Pandorus Sphinx If you have Grape or Virginia Creeper nearby, then you probably have this species. I often get asked to identify larvae from areas not previously reported. Macroglossini tribe: Amphion floridensis WO, the Nessus Sphinix This day flier is widely distributed. If you have Virginia Creeper, you probably have the Nessus Sphinx. Two bright, distinct, narrow yellow bands are often visible on the abdomen. Darapsa choerilus WO, the Azalea Sphinx The lower wings of this hawkmoth are a solid brownish-orange, matching the body colour. You will often see this species listed as Darapsa pholus, especially in older literature. Darapsa myron WO, the Virginia Creeper Sphinx or the Grapevine Sphinx If you have the foodplants indicated in the common names, you probably have this species nearby. The lower wings are orange. Darapsa versicolor WO, the Hydrangea Sphinx If you have hydrangea growing near a stream, then you might have the Hydrangea Sphinx. rare Deidamia inscriptum WO, the Lettered Sphinx The moth's outer margin of the forewing is deeply scalloped. The upperside is light brown with dark brown markings. There is a small black and white spot near the tip. Grape (Vitis), ampelopsis (Ampelopsis), and Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus) all serve as larval hosts. Hyles lineata WO, the White-lined Sphinx This species has strong migrating tendancies from much further south. There are records from New Hampshire and Maine. Proserpinus guarae WO, the Proud Sphinx The rare and possibly endangered Proud Sphinx flies from Texas and Louisiana east to northern Florida, north to Alabama, Missouri, northern Georgia, and South Carolina. possibility Proserpinus juanita WO, the Juanita Sphinx The upperside of the forewing is pale gray-green with a deep green-brown median area and a white dash at the wing tip. rare Sphecodina abbottii WO, the Abbott's Sphinx This moth is very much under reported across the United States. It is a rapid day flier so is probably not in too many collections. Grape is a popular larval host. Xylophanes tersa WO/WG, the Tersa Sphinx The upperside of the forewing is pale brown with lavender-gray at the base and has dark brown lengthwise lines throughout. Xylophanes tersa, Jonesboro, July 20, 2015, Will Green

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Enjoy some of nature's wonderments: Saturniidae cocoons. Cocoons of the giant silkmoths may be purchased in the fall and winter. Big and beautiful giant silk moths will emerge in spring/summer. Read Actias luna rearing article. Additional online help available.