Moths of North Carolina
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162 NC Records

Amorpha juglandis (J.E. Smith, 1797) - Walnut Sphinx

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Bombycoidea Family: SphingidaeSubfamily: SmerinthinaeTribe: SmerinthiniP3 Number: 890147.00 MONA Number: 7827.00
Comments: A monotypic genus, this species has been associated with the genus Laothoe since Hodges misplaced it there in 1971. See Tuttle (2007) for a discussion of this misplacement.
Species Status: Barcodes indicate a single species.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1948); Hodges (1971); Tuttle (2007)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Forbes (1948); Wagner (2005); Tuttle (2007)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Adult pattern variable but largely a medium sized light brown species with scalloped wing margins and a strongly slanting postmedian that converges towards the antemedian at the inner margin. Sexes are similar. Larva are similar to those of Paonias: green with white granules and striped with seven oblique pale lines along the sides, the last of which the most prominent and extending up to the base of the caudal horn, which is very short in this species.
Wingspan: 4.5 - 7.5 cm (Covell, 1984)
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Larvae are said to produce a squeaky noise, the function of which has not been investigated. Pupation occurs underground.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Occurs statewide.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Immature Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Flight Comments: A single brood in the mountains and two or three broods in the coastal plain.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Occurs in a wide range of mesic to dry habitats dominated by hardwoods, including Deciduous Maritime Forests on the Outer Banks to Cove Forests and Northern Hardwoods in the Mountains. In between, it occurs in bottomlands, mesic slopes, and dry ridges. Records are essentially absent from peatland and Longleaf Pine communities, habitats where both hickories (except Sand Hickory in sandhills habitats) and walnuts are marginal or missing. Only a very few records come from blackwater bottomlands, which suggests that Hornbeam -- a common species in those habitats -- is not a prominent host plant in North Carolina.
Larval Host Plants: Walnut and hickories (Juglandaceae) but also reported to feed on two members of the Betualceae, Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana) and Hop Hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana), in the northern part of its range (Wagner, 2005). In North Carolina, it has been observed feeding on hickory.
Observation Methods: Like other members of this subfamily (Smerinthinae) adults visit lights but not flowers nor bait. Most of our records come from 15 watt UV lights, usually as single individuals but rarely in multiples.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Hardwood Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 [S5]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: Given its wide distribution in the state, use of a variety of forest habitats and common host plants, this species appears to be secure. If anything, this species appears to be more common than it was 30 years ago.

 Photo Gallery for Amorpha juglandis - Walnut Sphinx

66 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2023-09-19
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Chuck Smith on 2023-08-08
Davidson Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, Becky Watkins on 2023-08-06
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Becky Watkins on 2023-08-06
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2023-06-25
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2023-06-18
Wake Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2023-06-14
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-03
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: John Petranka on 2023-06-02
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2023-05-20
Yancey Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2023-05-17
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson, Stephen Dunn on 2022-09-14
Orange Co.
Comment: on Carya sp.
Recorded by: Paul Hart on 2022-09-05
Harnett Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2022-08-14
Transylvania Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2022-08-03
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-06-25
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Richard Teper on 2022-06-24
Avery Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Richard Teper on 2022-06-24
Avery Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-06-21
Caswell Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-06-21
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-06-12
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-06-09
Wake Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-06-02
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-05-29
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-05-11
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2021-08-01
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-07-21
Graham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2021-07-14
Ashe Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David L. Heavner on 2021-06-15
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2021-06-15
Durham Co.
Comment: