Boone County, Missouri
Sphingidae

darapsa myron, Columbia, Boone County, Missouri,
June 4, 2011, courtesy of Bree McMurray.

This page is inspired by and dedicated to Bree McMurray who sent me the picture of Darapsa myron from Columbia (Boone County), Missouri.

Bree writes, June 4, 2011, "I found a very unusually colored (looks like military camo to me) moth this evening about 5pm, in 95 degree heat, residential area near urban "wooded stream" and field, in central Missouri (Columbia). It doesn't have enough detail to be Oleander's, I don't think, and not right for Pandora's. The dorsal underwing is cinnamon and there is a thin cinnamon border line on the medial edge of the upper wing. Body about 1 1/4 inch long, resting windspan about 2 inches. The green on green bands are distinct but not blotched like the European Lime Hawkmoth. There is a small dusky "dot" close to outer edge of upper wing, even with center of the body. I'm in cicada country in a major way so anything different is very interesting. This was resting on the wire bars of an outdoor dog kennel (just set up last night, had been inside dark storage shed before that). I got nervous about the posts regarding possible Lime Hawkmoth occurrence from a PA site in 2007 and so i have this moth in captivity-and of course it's about midnight on a Friday, so i cannot take it to anyone for about 3 days. Any assistance is appreciated on id. I'm an endangered species ecologist, and general outdoor, wildlife and wildflower enthusiast."

Plant some moonflowers. The Sphingidae love them and will provide you with some wonderment and excitement. Some of these moths fly at dusk, some in the dark of the night and some even in brood daylight. A nice butterfly bush will bring in the Hemaris species as well as Amphion floridensis. Mints, phlox, evening primrose, four 0'clocks, French lilacs are also powerful attractants

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.

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

Sphinginae subfamily Sphingini tribe: Agrius cingulata, 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). generally in SE Missouri Ceratomia amyntor, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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. generally SE Missouri Manduca jasminearum, the Ash Sphinx The upperside of forewing is gray to grayish brown with a black line running from the middle of the costa to the middle of the outer margin; the line may be broken near the margin. There is a splash of brown around the cell spot. The upperside of the hindwing is mostly black, with gray at the lower margin. Manduca quinquemaculatus, the Five-spotted Hawkmoth I suspect if you grow tomatoes, you are likely to encounter Manduca quinquemaculatus. Manduca rustica, 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, 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, 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, Sphinx canadensis, the Canadian Sphinx, is not common, and is not often reported anywhere, but it might be present in Columbia County. Larval hosts are white ash (Fraxinus americana) and blueberry (Vaccinium). Sphinx chersis, the Northern Ash Sphinx or Great Ash Sphinx This species might be present in Columbia County. Larval hosts are ash, lilac, privet, cherry, and quaking aspen. Sphinx drupiferarum, the Wild Cherry Sphinx The costa rgion in the basal and median areas is light grey and so is the terminal area of the forewing. The rest of the forewing is dark slatey-grey. Sphinx franckii, Franck's Sphinx Moth Generally it is not widely reported anywhere. Similar to S. kalmiae but lacks the dark bar along the fw inner margin. Sphinx gordius, the Apple Sphinx The upperside of the forewing ranges from brown with black borders through brownish gray with paler borders to pale gray with no borders. Dashes, submarginal line, and cell spot are usually weak. Sphinx kalmiae, 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. Sphinx luscitiosa , the Canadian Sphinx or Clemen's Sphinx The upperside of the forewing is yellowish gray in males and pale gray with a faint yellow tint in females. In both sexes, the dark border on the outer margin widens as it approaches the inner margin. Smerinthini Tribe: Amorpha juglandis, 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, the Modest Sphinx or Poplar Sphinx This moth has a large, heavy body, and females can be remarkably plump. Forewings are grey and brown with diffuse lines. Paonias excaecata, 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, 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 Missouri counties. I regularly see them on Prince Edward Island, and they are reported as far south as Florida. Smerinthus cerisyi, the Cerisyi's Sphinx or One-eyed Sphinx, Larvae feed on poplars and willows. Flight would be from late May-July as a single brood. Smerinthus jamaicensis, 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, 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 hindwing has pale patches along the costa and inner margin. very rare stray Aellopos titan, 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 hindwing has pale patches along the costa and inner margin. stray Erinnyis ello, the Ello Sphinx The abdomen has very distinct gray and black bands. The female's forewing upperside is pale gray with a few dark dots near the outer margin. stray Erinnyis obscura, the Obscure Sphinx. During the night adults nectar at flowers, including bouncing bet (Saponaria officinalis) and Asystasia gangetica beginning at dusk. July and August are flight times in the southern states. stray See Hemaris comparison to help distinguish the next two species. Hemaris thysbe, 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, 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, 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, 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 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. Eumorpha vitis, the Vine 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. The hindwing has a pink patch on the inner margin. stray Macroglossini tribe: Amphion floridensis, 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, 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. unlikely Darapsa myron BM, 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 or cinnamon. Darapsa myron, Columbia, June 4, 2011, Bree McMurray. Deidamia inscriptum, 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 gallii, the Bedstraw Hawk Moth or Gallium Sphinx Found in NE Missouri. Hyles lineata, the White-lined Sphinx This species has strong migrating tendancies from much further south. There are records from New Hampshire and Maine. Proserpinus juanita, 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, 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, the Tersa Sphinx The upperside of the forewing is pale brown with lavender-gray at the base and has dark brown lengthwise lines throughout.

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