HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp

Clickable Guide

Calendar

Upcoming Events

See Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2023

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29

Photos of insects and people from the 2015 gathering in Wisconsin, July 10-12

Previous events

TaxonomyBrowse

Info

ImagesLinksBooksData

Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Silkworm, Sphinx, and Royal Moths (Bombycoidea) » Sphinx Moths (Sphingidae) » Sphinginae » Sphingini » Sphinx » Vashti Sphinx - Hodges#7803 (Sphinx vashti)

Species Sphinx vashti - Vashti Sphinx - Hodges#7803

Classification · Hodges Number · Other Common Names · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · See Also · Internet References · Works Cited

White and black striped large moth, possibly hawk or hummingbird moth - Sphinx vashti

Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)

Superfamily Bombycoidea (Silkworm, Sphinx, and Royal Moths)

Family Sphingidae (Sphinx Moths)

Subfamily Sphinginae

Tribe Sphingini

Genus Sphinx

Species vashti (Vashti Sphinx - Hodges#7803)

Hodges Number

7803

Other Common Names

Snowberry Sphinx

Size

wingspan 68-94 mm

Identification

Adult: shoulder area extensively white; forewing gray with prominent black apical dash and sharp black subterminal line; hindwing black with sharp white bands; fringe not checkered

Larva: body green with seven pairs of lateral white oblique bands, bordered anteriorly with black; anal horn smooth, black

Range

western North America: Mantitoba to British Columbia, south to California, east to Texas

Habitat

mountain woodlands and prairie streamvalleys

Season

adults fly from May to July (1)

Food

larvae feed on snowberry (Symphoricarpos spp.)

adults take nectar from honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.) and columbine (Aquilegia spp.)

Life Cycle

one generation per year

See Also

Elegant Sphinx (Sphinx perelegans) has less extensive white in shoulder area, less conspicuous apical dash, more white in subterminal area of forewing, and a checkered fringe on the hindwing - compare images of both species at CBIF

Internet References

live images of 3 life stages plus common name reference [Snowberry Sphinx] and detailed species account (Bill Oehlke, silkmoths.bizland.com)

pinned adult image by Paul Opler, plus common name reference [Vashti Sphinx], US distribution map, and species account (butterfliesandmoths.org)

live images of three life stages plus foodplant and comments (Jeremy Tatum, Butterflies and Moths of Southern Vancouver Island)

pinned adult image and distribution in Canada (CBIF)

Works Cited

1.	Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America Charles V. Covell, Jr. 2005.

Contributed by Robin McLeod on 13 June, 2007 - 12:38am

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2023 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Printer Friendly Version