Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFSphingidae Members:
Eumorpha Members:
40 NC Records

Eumorpha fasciatus (Sulzer, 1776) - Banded Sphinx


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Taxonomy
Superfamily: Bombycoidea Family: SphingidaeSubfamily: MacroglossinaeTribe: MacroglossiniP3 Number: 890187.00 MONA Number: 7865.00
Comments: This is largely a Neotropical genus but 12 species are recorded from the U.S. and 5 from North Carolina.
Species Status: Barcodes indicate additional species may be unrecognized under this wide-ranging taxon but those from our area seem to be homogeneous.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984)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: Fore-wings are marked with light brown costal and outer margins, a paler y-shaped stripe that divides the median area into a three dark zones, and a series of narrow light lines running from the costa to the inner margin; hindwings are pinkish or crimson along the outer and inner margins. Eumorpha vitis is very similar but lacks the tan stripe along the costa. Hyles lineata is also similar but has only a single pale line running through the center of the wing and has a wider band of pink on the hindwing. Sexes are similar.
Wingspan: 8.7 - 9.6 cm (Covell, 1984)
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Larvae have multiple phenotypes, including a green form and one that is brilliantly marked with red and black stripes in addition to the usual pale lateral stripes; a caudal horn is lacking (see Wagner, 2005, for two examples). Pupation occurs underground.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Larval records so far are limited to the Outer Coastal Plain. Adult records are scattered more widely over the eastern half of the state but at least some could represent migrants or strays.
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)

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