Sphinx Moths

     Sphinx moths are so-named for their smooth-skinned caterpillars' reared up heads when threatened that makes them look fierce, and making them resemble the Egyptian sphinx.  The beautiful adult sphinx moths are also called "hawk moths" for their stiff, swept-back wings that beat rapidly, causing swift flight.  Each species in this moth grouping has a stout, hairy thorax and abdomen and attractive color patterns, most of which blend the moths into their surroundings to avoid predators.
     Adult sphinx moths of each species have long proboscises they dip into flowers while hovering to sip sugary nectar from them.  And each proboscis is coiled away under the head when not in use.  The three kinds of hawk moths I see most commonly here in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania are clear-wing hummingbird moths, white-lined sphinx moths and tomato hornworms, in that order of sighting them.
     The lovely and fascinating clear-wings resemble hummingbirds in the way they hover before flowers in daylight and bumble bees because of their size, shape and coloring.  Each one has a two-inch wing-span and clear, see-through spots in their wings.  The tips of their abdomens look "feathery" and, to me, are shaped like the end of the tails on crayfish.  And they have large eyes with what appears to be a pupil in each one.
     Clear-wings live among gardens, thickets, hedgerows and woodland edges, places where flowers are likely to be, through much of the eastern United States.  And its in those habitats that the larvae consume honeysuckle, dogbane and the foliage of other kinds of plants.  Clear-wing caterpillars are mostly green, which camouflages them among the plants they eat, and there is a small, red dot on each side of every segment.  And like the larvae of all sphinx moths, each clear-wing caterpillar has a fleshy "horn" on the upper part of its last segment.  That growth resembles a stinger to discourage would-be predators, but it is a bluff because it is harmless.
     The handsome adult white-lined sphinx moths have three inch wing spans and are mostly light-brown with white lines on their bodies, heads and wings, a color pattern that camouflages them by day when they are resting.  They also have striking pink and black on each back wing and large eyes, in which one can see their pupils. 
     This species lives in pastures, gardens and woodland edges across much of the United States.  And like most hawk moths, white-lines visit blossoms at night.
     White-line caterpillars are green and dark-striped, lengthwise from head to rear, which blends them into the plants they consume.  They ingest the foliage of evening primrose, grape, tomatoes, apple and elm trees, and the leaves of other kinds of vegetation.
     Tomato hornworm moths live in the eastern half of the United States.  This attractive, nocturnal hawk moth has a four inch wing-span, a mottled gray and brown coloring all over, except for ten obvious and lovely orange spots on their abdomens, five on each side.
     I've seen tomato hornworm larvae far more often than the adults in my lifetime.  I see those caterpillars mostly in tobacco fields where they ingest tobacco leaves.  Each larva grows up to four inches long, is mostly green, which camouflages them among the foliage they eat, and has a white line diagonally across each segment and a fake "eye" on each side of every body section.  These caterpillars can be destructive to crops, including tomatoes and tomato leaves.
      Sphinx moth larvae pupate in brownish, crispy cases in the ground.  The developing proboscis of each caterpillar is so long it grows outside the main case, making it look like a tiny jug with a handle in the soil.   
     Sphinx moths are unique and attractive.  They are well worth spotting in their sunny, flower-filled habitats.