The Sphingidae of California

Click on one of the Scientific names to see images and access information. N.B., the files are not linked back to this page. To return to this index, simply use your browser back button.

Please help me improve this site by sending sighting data (species; location [county]; date) to Bill Oehlke. Images are also greatly appreciated and will be used and credited (with permission) on county pages.

Many thanks to all who have submitted images and data. I have added Erinnyis oenotrus to the list, based on a report for San Diego County from Steve Alexander. I have not seen an image of the moth.

Sphinginae subfamily Sphingini tribe: Agrius cingulata stray Cocytius antaeus XS Manduca quinquemaculatus Twwwwwwww Manduca rustica S 1/8 Manduca sexta SW 2/3 Sphinx asellus XCE Sphinx chersis ab XNE Sphinx dollii northern tip of XSE Sphinx drupiferarum N 1/2 Sphinx libocedrus northern tip of XSE Sphinx perelegans ab XSE Sphinx sequoiae W 1/2 Sphinx vashti E 1/2 Smerinthini Tribe: Pachysph. occidentalis T Paonias excaecata N 1/3 Paonias myops E 1/3 Smerinthus cerisyi * Smerinthus ophthalmica NC Smerinthus saliceti XSE tip * Moths previously listed as S. cerisyi, west of the Continental Divide, are more likely S. ophthalmica

Macroglossinae subfamily Dilophonotini tribe:mm Aellopos clavipes rare stray Call. falcifera rare stray Er. crameri SE 1/5, rare Erinnyis ello S 1/4 Erinnyis obscura S 1/4 Er. oenotrus rare stray; SA Philampelini tribe:mm Eumorpha achemon W 7/8 Eum. fasciatus rare stray Macroglossini tribe: E. euterpe Walker Basin Eup. phaeton SW 1/3 Euproserpinus wiesti XNE Hyles euphorbiae Hyles lineata T Pros. clarkiae ab SE Pros. flavofasciata XNW Proserpinus lucidus W 7/8 Return to Index by Nation Return to U. S. A. Table Return to Main Sphingidae Index

Active files exist for those counties listed in red. Sighting data would be greatly appreciated. Please send data to Bill Oehlke. Files will be created and uploaded as information arrives.

Smerinthus saliceti male, Encinitas, northern/coastal San Diego County, California,
August 21, 2007, 5:00pm, courtesy of Don Doerfler, Digital Camera: Olympus 5060, 8MP

Smerinthus saliceti male, Lake Arrowhead, San Bernardino County, California,
July 8, 2014, courtesy of Krystal Kinney, via Daniel Marlos of What's that Bug;
identification by Bill Oehlke.

Notes/thumbnails (adult moths) for individual counties, northern California:

Del Norte W Siskiyou NE Glenn C Plumas SE

Humboldt W Modoc NE Butte C Sierra SE

Trinity W Shasta NE Colusa C Nevada SE

Mendocino W Lassen NE Sutter C Placer SE

Lake W Tehama NE Yuba C ElDorado SE

Notes on individual counties, central California:

Marin NW Sacramento NC El Dorado NE San Francisco WC Mono E Monterey S

Sonoma NW San Joaquin NC Alpine NE Alameda WC Mariposa E San Benito S

Napa NW Stanislaus NC Amador NE San Mateo WC Madera E Kings S

Yolo NW Merced NC Calaveras NE Santa Cruz WC Fresno E Tulare S

Solana NW Contra Costa NC Tuolumne NE Santa Clara WC Inyo E

Notes on individual counties, southern California:

San Luis Obispo Los Angeles

Kern Orange

San Bernardino Riverside

Santa Barbara San Diego

Ventura Imperial

Eumorpha achemon, fourth instar larva, June 25, 2005
Lake Elsinore in Riverside County, courtesy of Peter Sidoruk.

The section below will be developed starting in 2007, based on larval images submitted from California. Currently only those counties listed in red are active.

Larval thumbnails for individual counties, northern California:

Del Norte W Siskiyou NE Glenn C Plumas SE

Humboldt W Modoc NE Butte C Sierra SE

Trinity W Shasta NE Colusa C Nevada SE

Mendocino W Lassen NE Sutter C Placer SE

Lake W Tehama NE Yuba C Eldorado SE

Larval thumbnails for individual counties, central California:

Marin NW Sacramento NC El Dorado NE San Francisco WC Mono E Monterey S

Sonoma NW San Joaquin NC Alpine NE Alameda WC Mariposa E San Benito S

Napa NW Stanislaus NC Amador NE San Mateo WC Madera E Kings S

Yolo NW Merced NC Calaveras NE Santa Cruz WC Fresno E Tulare S

Solana NW Contra Costa NC Tuolumne NE Santa Clara WC Inyo E

Larval thumbnails for individual counties, southern California:

San Luis Obispo Los Angeles

Kern Orange

San Bernardino Riverside

Santa Barbara San Diego

Ventura Imperial

Enjoy some of nature's wonderments, giant silk moth cocoons. These cocoons are for sale winter and fall. Beautiful Saturniidae moths will emerge the following spring and summer. Read Actias luna rearing article. Additional online help available.

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Please send sightings/images to Bill. I will do my best to respond to requests for identification help.

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