Moth Photographers Group -- Waved Sphinx Moth -- 7787

Digital Guide to Moth Identification

7787 -- Waved Sphinx Moth -- Ceratomia undulosa

Photographs are the copyrighted property of each photographer listed. Contact individual photographers for permission to use for any purpose.

Distribution:	Prince Edward Island to Alberta, North Dakota and Colorado, southward to Florida and western Texas.
Seasonality and Size:	Two broods in the south from March to October, one brood in the north from May to August. Glaser reports this moth as common throughout Maryland between 28 April and 8 September. Wingspan 7.8-11 cm
Larva and Host Plants:	Light green hornworm, red/brown forms may be encountered: the horn may be pink. Seven pairs of oblique lateral stripes, and a broad stripe on the head from eyes to crown. Convex anal plate and anal prolegs with raised black spots Spiracles have a white center, edged with orange. Ash is the preferred food plant, but lilac, privet and fringe-tree may also be eaten.
Field Marks:	forewing usually pale brownish gray. Some individuals, particularly from the northern Great Plains, may be very dark, and others may be pale yellowish brown. jagged black lines and black dashes on forewings well defined reniform spot large, white with black outline hindwing gray with diffuse darker gray lines
Similar Species:	See discussion under 7786 - Elm Sphinx, C. amyntor

References

USA Distribution Map at BMNA

Covell Field Guide p.33; Pl. 4(10, male)

MONA Fascicle 21, p.42; Pl. 2(12, male)

Handfield's Papillons du Québec p.269; Pl. 51(7787, male)

Wagner's Caterpillars of Eastern North America p.252

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

Send suggestions, or submit photographs to Webmaster -- Moth Photographers Group

Files/Live/Species/7000/7787.shtml -- 08/20/2005