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Digital Guide to Moth Identification

Sphingidae 890135 – 7816   Lapara coniferarum (Smith, 1797)              Southern Pine Sphinx

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Distribution: Ranges from Maine south to Florida, and west to Mississippi, Louisiana and Indiana. Seasonality and Size: One brood in the north, probably two broods in coastal South Carolina, and several broods throughout the year in the deep south. Wingspan 50 - 57 mm. Larva and Host Plants: Foodplants are pines, especially loblolly and longleaf pine in the south, pitch pine further north. Larva bright yellow-green, with cream stripes on the back, and above and below the spiracles. No horn. Often has dark red blotches on back, around spiracles and above prolegs. Reddish brown face with yellow edging. Description/ Field Marks: Forewing gray with two black dashes in median area. Other markings very diffuse. Hindwing pale gray. Similar Species: Pinned specimens of related species. (Hint: select View by Region on the related species page.) Synonymy: coniferarum (Smith, 1797) (Sphinx) - MONA 1983: 7816 cana (Martyn, 1797) (Sphinx) halicarnie (Strecker, 1880) (Sphinx)

References

Barcode of Life (BOLD) - Caution: DNA barcode provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification, and some BOLD specimens shown may not be sequenced. Covell Field Guide p.36; Pl. 5(10, 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. 73; pl. 6.5, 7-9. order or free PDF Species Page at Bill Oehlke's moth website - Lapara coniferarum Species Page at BugGuide.Net Species Page at Mass Moths Tuttle, J. P., 2007. Hawk Moths of North America: p. 106; pl. 9.1-2, 5. Wagner, D. L., (2005). Caterpillars of Eastern North America, p. 254.

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