Species Smerinthus jamaicensis - Twin-spotted Sphinx - Hodges#7821

7821

Smerinthus jamaicensis – (Drury, 1773)

Common (1)

Wingspan 50-70 mm (2); 45-83 mm

Adult: male forewing gray with black and white markings; female forewing yellowish-brown with dark brown and white markings; thick dark bar runs from dark AM line to pale PM line; forewing outer margin unevenly scalloped; hindwing mostly reddish with pale yellow border and nearly straight costal margin; large blue spot near anal angle divided by black bar, giving the appearance of two blue spots - hence the common name, Twin-spotted Sphinx

Larva: body granulose, pale yellow or bluish-green with cream-colored and occasionally red markings; head triangular, light green with cream-colored band running to vertex; caudal horn attenuate, nearly straight, usually extending beyond rump, often bluish or black dorsally; thorax with very faint subdorsal line (in One-eyed Sphinx (S. cerisyi), subdorsal stripe well-defined and runs length of body)

[description adapted from Caterpillars of Eastern Forests]

United States east of the Rockies, and southern Canada from Newfoundland to British Columbia and southern Yukon

(absent from US west coast, extreme southern Texas and Florida, and Northwest Territories and Alaska)

various brushy and forested habitats, suburbs, riparian areas; adults are nocturnal and come to light

adults fly from April to October (2) in the south; June to August in the north

larvae from June to November

larvae feed on leaves of apple, ash, birch, elm, plum, willow (2); peach, willow (1); preferred foodplants are willow and poplar [Caterpillars of Eastern Forests]

adults do not feed

up to five generations per year in Louisiana; usually two generations per year in mid-latitudes; one generation in the north

Larva; adult

The black bar dividing the blue spot on the hindwing distinguishes this species from others that also have blue spots on the hindwing. (2)

Arnett, natural history (page 774) and B&W photo (figure 27.245) (1)

Covell, Plate 6, #4, and page 37 (2)

Powell, J. A. & P. A. Opler, Moths of Western North America, p. 243, Pl. 39.3. (3)

Salsbury, p. 325--photo of specimen, adult (4)

Moth Photographers Group

photos of caterpillar and adult and other information (Bill Oehlke)

distribution in Canada list of provinces and territories (CBIF)