Species Sphecodina abbottii - Abbott's Sphinx - Hodges#7870

7870

Sphinx d’Abbott - En francais.… Ilze V-G.

Sphecodina abbottii (Swainson, 1821)

Named — using a double T by mistake — for the pioneering naturalist and illustrator, John Abbot (1751-1840).

Wingspan 51-70 mm

Larva to 75 mm

Short body and cryptic wings distinctive. Hindwings have a yellow "flash pattern".

Larvae start out green with a horn on the final segment. Middle instar larvae are whitish to blue-green with dark faint cross-stripes and the horn replaced by an orange raised knob on the last segment (A8). The last instars may be either brown with a "wood-grain" pattern or brown with ten pale green saddles along the back. In these late instars the knob resembles an eye.

Eastern and central North America: Maine to Florida, west to [Manitoba & North Dakota, BugGuide data], Texas.

Edges of woodlands, presumably.

February-August with two flights in deep south (e.g., Louisiana). May-June in much of range, with one flight.

Adults take nectar. Male is reported to fly around dusk, female to fly near midnight.

Larvae feed on leaves of grape, Ampelopsis, Virginia Creeper(1)