WOW! We had some GREAT finds today here at the park! This
Small-eyed Sphinx (above) was just about the most stunning moth I've seen yet. They fly from May through September and their caterpillars feed on birches and poplars. Hope we see lots more!!
Our second sphinx is a
Walnut Sphinx. Their flight period is from March through October and they feed on (of course) walnuts, hickories, and beeches. According to BugGuide, their caterpillars will produce a whistle-like hiss if you mess with them. I'm going to have to find one and see if it really does!!
Our last one is certainly a more commonly seen species than the previous two--mainly because they are day-flying moths. This is the
Hummingbird Sphinx Moth--and if you have any Butterfly Bushes (Buddleia sp.)--then you almost certainly have these if you are in the southeast. Lots of folks mistake them for baby hummingbirds--you'd be surprised how often they get commented about during the summer because we have so many. I never tire of seeing them though! **All three of these photos were taken by Alisha today because I forgot my camera and she didn't ;D**
WOW! We had some GREAT finds today here at the park! This Small-eyed Sphinx (above) was just about the most stunning moth I've seen yet. They fly from May through September and their caterpillars feed on birches and poplars. Hope we see lots more!!
Our second sphinx is a Walnut Sphinx. Their flight period is from March through October and they feed on (of course) walnuts, hickories, and beeches. According to BugGuide, their caterpillars will produce a whistle-like hiss if you mess with them. I'm going to have to find one and see if it really does!!
Our last one is certainly a more commonly seen species than the previous two--mainly because they are day-flying moths. This is the Hummingbird Sphinx Moth--and if you have any Butterfly Bushes (Buddleia sp.)--then you almost certainly have these if you are in the southeast. Lots of folks mistake them for baby hummingbirds--you'd be surprised how often they get commented about during the summer because we have so many. I never tire of seeing them though! **All three of these photos were taken by Alisha today because I forgot my camera and she didn't ;D**
Wow! nice Sphingidae, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI truly enjoyed your moth collection. Maybe you could help? I found a caterpillar that is similar to a waved sphinx-type in my garden, but it's not quite the same. Could I send you a photo of it?
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