Family Sphingidae Hodges # 7894
Caterpillar foods: mostly plants in the Rosaceae, and Onagraceae (Bugguide); Mirabilis (personal observation)
Black willow, niobe weeping willow, apple, swamp smart weed, tare thumb(smart weed), lambsquarter, purslane, swamp vervain, butter and egg snap dragon, white ash, grape, virginia creeper, four o clock, field bindweed, tomato, green pepper, sunflower. (Ian Miller)
These are large moths that fly during the day and at dusk. People often mistake them for hummingbirds until they stop moving. And they sometimes come to my lights at night.
5/22/2014
9/28/2014
5/17/2012 nectaring on Dandelions
The caterpillars can vary in color.
This is one that Ian gave me – 9/26/2009
This is one I found in Pierce County, WI, eating Wild Four O’Clock (Mirabilis nyctaginea). 7/9/2007
7/9/2007
7/26/2007 the pupa
8/11/2007 Emerged adult
More at my lights
7/14/2017
9/10/2019
9/2/2019
5/30/2019
9/10/2019
8/29/2016
