Moths of North Carolina
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
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View PDFSphingidae Members:
Sphecodina Members:
80 NC Records

Sphecodina abbottii (Swainson, 1821) - Abbot's Sphinx

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Bombycoidea Family: SphingidaeSubfamily: MacroglossinaeTribe: MacroglossiniP3 Number: 890192.00 MONA Number: 7870.00
Comments: A genus of two species but only one in our area and the other in the eastern Palearctic.
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: One of the smaller Sphinx moths, the dark brown or gray, longitudinally-streaked forewing and yellow-edged hindwing are unmistakable. Sexes are similar.
Wingspan: 5.8 - 7 cm (Covell, 1984)
Adult ID Requirements: Unmistakable and widely known.
Immatures and Development: Larvae are variable in color but late instars have a distinctive eye-like knob located where the caudal horn occurs in other Sphingids. Pupation occurs underground.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Potentially occurs statewide but records are widely scattered in time and location.
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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