Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Sphingidae Members:	Enyo Members:	112 NC Records

Enyo lugubris (Linnaeus, 1771) - Mournful Sphinx

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Bombycoidea

Family:
Sphingidae

Subfamily:
Macroglossinae

Tribe:
Dilophonotini

P3 Number:
890172

MONA Number:
7851.00

Comments: A genus of 8 species, perhaps associated incorrectly, but two species occur in the United States and only one in North Carolina.

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984)

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

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

Technical Description, Immature Stages: Tuttle (2007). Not described by Forbes (1948) or Wagner (2005).

Adult Markings: This small, heavy-bodied sphinx is smoky brown -- darker beyond the straight postmedian line -- and possess a white discal spot. Unlikely to be confused with any other species. Sexes are similar.

Wingspan: 5 - 6 cm (Covell, 1984)

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

Immatures and Development: Larvae are various shades of green with a pale subdorsal stripe and the usual sphingid pattern of pale oblique lines along the sides of the body. The head is conspicuously small, with the body narrowing towards the head from the fourth abdominal segment (see Tuttle, 2007) for details. Pupation occurs underground.

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

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: A migratory species that has been recorded primarily along the coast, especially the southern portion near the mouth of the Cape Fear River. The record from the northern Mountains, however, indicates that it could show up anywhere in the state.

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: Like most migrants it begins to show up in early summer and by fall is here in large numbers.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: The majority of our records come from open habitats on barrier islands and sand ridges located in the tidewater area. The few records we have from other areas -- all from the northern Mountains -- probably represent migratory strays.

Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed on the Vitaceae, particularly grapes and Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia). Reported hosts include Ampelopsis, Peppervine (Nekemias arborea), and Possum Grape (Vitis baileyana) (Beadle & Leckie, 2018; Mejia et al., 2020; BugGuide). In North Carolina, larvae have been recorded on grape. - View

Observation Methods: Comes to lights and nectars at flowers; a large sassanqua shrub is likely to have a dozen or more moths flying around its blossoms like a flock of hummingbirds. particularly noticeable late in the growing season. Not found at baits.

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Vitaceous Tangles

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S3S4]

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

Comments: The species breeds in North Carolina but rarely overwinters. Distribution of breeding populations needs to be documented but are probably are not of conservation concern, given that the species does not appear to be a permanent resident.

Photo Gallery for Enyo lugubris - Mournful Sphinx

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

	Recorded by: Cami Gregg on 2025-09-17 Moore Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Caleb Garner on 2025-09-16 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Caleb Garner on 2025-09-16 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Caleb Garner on 2025-09-16 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: R. Newman on 2025-09-11 Carteret Co. Comment:		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2025-08-28 Carteret Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Trey Riley Zartman on 2024-11-20 Hyde Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Trey Riley Zartman on 2024-11-20 Hyde Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: R. Newman on 2024-11-19 Carteret Co. Comment:		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2024-11-11 Carteret Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2024-11-01 Pender Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2024-10-31 Pender Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2024-10-30 Pender Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2024-10-29 Pender Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2024-10-28 Pender Co. Comment:		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2024-10-26 Carteret Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-10-08 Bladen Co. Comment:		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2024-10-02 Carteret Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: R. Newman on 2024-09-09 Carteret Co. Comment:		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2023-10-24 Carteret Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2023-10-23 Pender Co. Comment:		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2023-09-18 Carteret Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Bo Sullivan and Becky Elkin on 2023-09-14 Macon Co. Comment:		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2023-09-07 Carteret Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: R. Newman on 2023-03-17 Carteret Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Caleb Garner on 2022-11-10 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Caleb Garner on 2022-11-10 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2022-11-01 Carteret Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2022-10-27 Pender Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2022-10-23 Pender Co. Comment: