Moth Photographers Group -- Pawpaw Sphinx Moth -- 7784

Digital Guide to Moth Identification

7784 -- Pawpaw Sphinx Moth -- Dolba hyloeus

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Distribution:	From New Brunswick through southern Quebec and Ontario to Wisconsin, south to Florida and eastern Texas.
Seasonality and Size:	There are several broods along the Gulf Coast, just one further north. Adults fly from May-September in Florida, mid-June to mid-August in Michigan. John Glaser reports them as common throughout Maryland from 15 May to 19 August. Wingspan 5 - 6.8 cm
Larva and Host Plants:	The larva is a light green hornworm with 6 pairs of oblique lateral white stripes, bordered with dark gray dorsally. The host plants include alder, pawpaw, deciduous hollies and sweetfern.
Field Marks:	forewing dark chocolate brown with bands of jagged black and white lines in the basal and pm. areas hindwing blackish with a white median line, becoming double near the anal angle
Similar Species:	The Rustic Sphinx Moth, M. rustica, is similar but considerably larger, with a wingspan of 8.7 - 15 cm., and has yellow abdominal spots, which the Pawpaw Sphinx Moth lacks (see below).

References

USA Distribution Map at BMNA

Covell Field Guide p.33; Pl. 5(1, male)

MONA Fascicle 21, p.37; Pl. 2(5,7, male)

Handfield's Papillons du Québec p.268; Pl. 50(7784, female)

Wagner's Caterpillars of Eastern North America p.255

Bill Oehlke's Species Page

Data compiled by Nolie Schneider from references noted. See the Books Page for bibliographic and ordering information.

Moth Photographers Group at the Mississippi Entomological Museum at Mississippi State University

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Files/Live/Species/7000/7784.shtml -- 08/20/2005