Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Sphingidae Members:	Deidamia Members:	221 NC Records

Deidamia inscriptum (Harris, 1839) - Lettered Sphinx

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Bombycoidea

Family:
Sphingidae

Subfamily:
Macroglossinae

Tribe:
Macroglossini

P3 Number:
890204.8

MONA Number:
7871.00

Comments: The only member of this genus.

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)

Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD

Technical Description, Adults: Forbes (1948); Hodges (1971); Tuttle (2007)

Technical Description, Immature Stages: Forbes (1948); Wagner (2005); Tuttle (2007)

Adult Markings: One of our smallest Sphinx moths. The forewings are distinctively cross-banded with pale gray or tan and darker brown and have a larger patch of dark brown near the outer margin. The hindwings are reddish or orange. Sexes are similar.

Wingspan: 4.5 - 7 cm (Covell, 1984)

Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.

Immatures and Development: Larvae are light yellowish-green with the usual pale oblique lines on the sides more-or-less obscure. A pale subdorsal line runs from the head up onto the caudal horn. Spiracles are white and bounded by a pair of vertical dark bars. Pupation occurs underground.

Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Occurs statewide, from the Barrier Islands to the High Mountains.

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: Single spring flight.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: A number of records come from barrier islands, both from maritime forest and dunes, where grapes form thick tangles in places. Across the rest of the state, our records come primarily from hardwood-dominated forests, ranging from floodplain forests to cove forests to dry ridges.

Larval Host Plants: Larvae are oligophagous, feeding on Sourwood (Ericaceae) and Vitaceae, including Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) and grape (Vitis). Larvae have been known to denude Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum) at moderate elevations in the mountains (Wagner, 2005). In North Carolina, larvae have been recorded on Virginia Creeper and Sourwood. - View

Observation Methods: Adults visit flowers but have not been recorded at bait. They come well to 15 watt UV lights, regularly observed in suitable habitat, often as multiple individuals.

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Vitaceous Tangles

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S5]

State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.

Comments: Clearly populations fluctuate from year to year but the size of such outbreaks has not been recorded nor has their frequency in any one locality been noted. Tachinid fly populations may regulate the numbers from year to year. Given its wide distribution across the state, broad range of habitats and use of common host plants, this species appears to be secure.

Photo Gallery for Deidamia inscriptum - Lettered Sphinx

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

	Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-18 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2025-04-22 Carteret Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-04-22 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2025-04-05 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-29 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2024-05-16 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2024-05-16 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-05-12 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-05-01 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-05-01 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Michael Wall on 2024-04-29 Jackson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Michael Wall on 2024-04-29 Jackson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2024-04-08 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Erich Hofmann and Kayla Weinfurther on 2024-03-23 New Hanover Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Erich Hofmann and Kayla Weinfurther on 2024-03-23 New Hanover Co. Comment:		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2024-03-14 Carteret Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2023-05-07 Transylvania Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Richard Teper on 2023-04-19 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2023-04-13 Transylvania Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Emily L Stanley on 2023-04-13 Yancey Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: R. Newman on 2023-04-11 Carteret Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2023-04-05 Cabarrus Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: R. Newman on 2023-03-24 Carteret Co. Comment:		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2023-03-24 Carteret Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: R. Newman on 2023-03-17 Carteret Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2022-05-03 Pender Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2022-04-30 Transylvania Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Erich Hofmann on 2022-04-29 Columbus Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Erich Hofmann on 2022-04-29 Columbus Co. Comment:		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2022-04-24 Carteret Co. Comment: