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Digital Guide to Moth Identification

Sphingidae
890128 – 7796   Lintneria eremitus (Hübner, [1823])
             Hermit Sphinx

© Cindy Mead
Distribution: Caution: A single range map dot for a Canadian province may represent records without specific location data.
From the Canadian Maritime Provinces west to Manitoba, and southward to Arkansas and North Carolina. Its distribution is patchy in the southern portions of its range and may be missing from many areas. It is rare in Maryland, recorded only from the western Appalachians.
Seasonality
and Size:
Found in July and August in the north and perhaps rather earlier in the south. Wingspan 65 - 75 mm.
Larva and
Host Plants:
Larva feed on plants in the mint family (bee-balm, basil, bugle-weed, mints and sage/salvia and monarda). A chocolate brown "hornworm," but some forms are mottled with green. Early and middle instars have a "horn" on the 2nd thoracic segment, later instars have a "hump" there. There is a large black "eye" on 2nd and 3rd thoracic segments, and very small pale circles on abdominal segments.
Description/
Field Marks:
  • forewing gray-brown with black dashes and incomplete zigzag lines.
  • reniform spot white, may be double.
  • hindwing black with two distinct, broad white bands.
Similar Species:
  • In 7793 - Plebian Sphinx Moth, Paratraea plebeja the hindwing is dark gray with obscure black median band.
  • Pinned specimens of related species. (Hint: select View by Region on the related species page.)
Synonymy: Agrius eremitus Hübner, [1823]
Sphinx mccrearyi Clark, 1929
Sphinx sordida Harris, 1839
References
  • Barcode of Life (BOLD) - Caution: Some specimens shown may not be sequenced. DNA barcode provides evidence of relatedness not proof of identification.
  • Covell Field Guide p.34; Pl. 5(4, male).
  • Hall et al., 2021. The Moths of North Carolina - website (identification, habitats and life history)
  • Hodges, R. W., 1971. Moths of America North of Mexico, Fascicle 21:p. 55; pl. 3.5. order or free PDF
  • Species Page at Bill Oehlke's moth website - Lintneria eremitus
  • Species Page at BugGuide.Net
  • Species Page at Mass Moths
  • Tuttle, J. P., 2007. Hawk Moths of North America: p. 97; pl. 6.8.
  • Wagner, D. L., (2005). Caterpillars of Eastern North America, p. 257.
Lintneria eremitus
© Janice Stiefel
Lintneria eremitus
© Cindy Mead
Lintneria eremitus
© Cindy Mead
Lintneria eremitus
© Carol Wolf
Lintneria eremitus
70mm – © Jim Vargo
Lintneria eremitus
© Janice Stiefel
5th instar
Lintneria eremitus
© Gerald Fauske

Lintneria eremitus
© Canadian National Collection LG

Lintneria eremitus
© Teá Montagna LG
3rd Instar on Monarda
Lintneria eremitus
© Teá Montagna LG
4th Instar on Monarda

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