Azalea Sphinx Moth (Darapsa choerilus)

(Photo taken 5/8/08)

Azalea Sphinx Moth (Darapsa choerilus) Hodges #7886

Range: Eastern United States, west to North Dakota and Texas, plus across southern Canada from Nova Scotia to British Columbia.

Season: Adults fly from June to August in the north (one brood); March to September in the south (two or more broods). In Louisiana there are as many as eight broods, beginning in March, with emergence peaks at 30-day intervals.

Food: Larvae feed on leaves of azalea (Rhododendron spp.), blueberry (Vaccinium spp.), sour-gum, and Viburnum species. Adults take nectar.

Life Cycle: One to several generations per year, depending on latitude. Larvae pupate in leaf litter at base of hostplant, binding several leaves together with a few strands of silk to form a loose flimsy cocoon.

Thanks to Eric Eaton at BugGuide for the ID.

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Everything you ever wanted to know about Azalea Sphinx Moths (from breeding procedures to photos of pupae and larval stages) can be found on Mr. Bill Oehlke's webpage.

Azalea Sphinx Moth (Darapsa choerilus)

Tersa Sphinx Moth

Tersa Sphinx - Hodges#7890 (Xylophanes tersa)

Caterpillar hosts: Smooth buttonplant (Spermacoce glabra), starclusters (Pentas species), Borreria, Catalpa, and Manettia species.

Adult food: Nectar from flowers including honeysuckle (Lonicera).

Source: Butterflies and Moths of North America

Tersa Sphinx Moth

White-Lined Sphinx Moth

White-lined Sphinx - Hodges#7894 (Hyles lineata)

Caterpillar hosts: A great diversity of plants including willow weed (Epilobium), four o'clock (Mirabilis), apple (Malus), evening primrose (Oenothera), elm (Ulmus), grape (Vitis), tomato (Lycopersicon), purslane (Portulaca), and Fuschia.

Adult food: Nectar from a variety of flowers including columbines, larkspurs, petunia, honeysuckle, moonvine, bouncing bet, lilac, clovers, thistles, and Jimpson weed.

Source: Butterflies and Moths of North America

White-Lined Sphinx Moth

Azalea Sphinx Moth

Azalea Sphinx - Hodges#7886 (Darapsa choerilus)



Larvae feed on leaves of azalea (Rhododendron spp.), blueberry (Vaccinium spp.), sour-gum, and Viburnum species. Adults take nectar.

Azalea Sphinx Moth