SPHINGIDAE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Darapsa myron

(Cramer, 1780)

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Common Name(s): Virginia Creeper Sphinx, 
​Hog Sphinx


Ecology and Life History: This moth flies throughout the warmer months in the Northeastern United States, and can be found nearly year-round in the deep south. This species will readily come to light, but will also come to bait when offered. Both sexes will visit light. Males are often slightly smaller than females, with female abdomens being slightly rounder and larger than males. Moths will seemingly oviposit anywhere on the hostplant. I have watched a female D. myron sit on a Vitis leaf and lay a dozen eggs before moving to the next one. As a result, caterpillars may be found singularly, or in small groups when they are small. The final instar larva may also have a brown form.
Habitat and Searching for Larvae: This is another species found on vitaceous vines. Vitis is a particular favorite, with Parthenocissus quinquefolia following closely. Larvae are most easily found on grape vines sprawling trees, fences, boulders, or the ground, particularly vines in edge habitats. Large fields and river washes with grape will often yield many caterpillars. In the early spring, searching grape leaves with small holes in them will often yield sphingid larvae. In the Northeast, caterpillars begin appearing in May and end in October. In the deep south, this may be more or less a year-round species. The larvae do fluoresce under UV light, which makes finding them easier.
Rearing Notes: Female moths will deposit eggs in a paper bag, but also on host if placed in a flight cage. Larvae are a bit sensitive to overcrowding, especially if being reared indoors. This species does quite well if reared on fresh hostplant in a screen cage or outdoors on a sleeve. Pupation is quite easy to achieve in damp paper towel or in soil that has been misted.
Adult description: A small sphingid, with forewings only 26-32mm (2) in length. The ground color of this moth is greenish-brown with two dark bands running through the forewings, and a lighter area in between. There is a lighter area in the margin of the wing tip where it bends inward forming the falcate tip. The hindwings of this species are orange. It can be confused with Darapsa choerilus in some areas, but that species tends to be brownish overall and larger. A main difference between the two is the absence of foretibial spines on Darapsa myron.
​

Larval description:
L5: This is a small larva. They come in either a brownish form or green form. The larva has bright red spiracles and 6 large white streaks surrounding each spiracle. The last white streak extends to the green horn, which usually angles backwards. The most distinctive characteristic of this species is the beautiful red-orange markings on the dorsal side of the larva. The swollen A1-2 segments are pronounced and like other members of this genus, it will retract it’s head into them if disturbed.

Host plants:
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Picture
(C) JoAnne Russo
Picture
L5 (C) Ashley Bosarge
Picture
The gallery to the left contains photos of Darapsa myron adults. If you have a photo that you would like to submit to us, please contact us.

The gallery to the right contains photos of Darapsa myron larval and pupal stages. If you have a photo that you would like to submit to us, please contact us.
(C) JoAnne Russo
(C) Alex Harmon
(C) Eric Eaton
(C) Eric Eaton
(C) Eric Eaton
(C) Eric Eaton
(C) Eric Eaton
(C) Jon Mularczyk
(C) Ken Childs
(C) Ken Childs
(C) Ken Childs
(C) Ken Childs
(C) Jean Haxaire
(C) Teá Kesting-Handly
(C) Teá Kesting-Handly
(C) Maya Shikhman
(C) Teá Kesting-Handly
(C) Teá Kesting-Handly
L5 (C) Blaine Rothauser
L5 (C) Jon Mularczyk
L5 (C) Jon Mularczyk
L5 (C) Ashley Bosarge
L4 (C) Ashley Bosarge
L4 (C) Ashley Bosarge
L1 (C) Ashley Bosarge
L5 (C) Ashley Bosarge
L5 (C) Ashley Bosarge
L5 (C) Ashley Bosarge
L5 (C) Ashley Bosarge
L5 (C) Ashley Bosarge
L5 (C) Ashley Bosarge
L4 (C) Jon Mularczyk
L5 - (C) Teá Kesting-Handly
L5 - (C) Teá Kesting-Handly
L4 - (C) Teá Kesting-Handly
(C) Ashley Bosarge
(C) Ashley Bosarge
(C) Catherine Klatt
(C) Catherine Klatt
(C) Alex Baranowski
(C) Alex Baranowski
(C) Alex Baranowski
(C) Alex Baranowski
(C) Alex Baranowski
L5 (C) Teá Kesting-Handly
L5 (C) Teá Kesting-Handly
L5 (C) Teá Kesting-Handly
L5 (C) Teá Kesting-Handly
L3 - (C) Teá Kesting-Handly
L5 - (C) Teá Kesting-Handly
L5 - (C) Teá Kesting-Handly
L5 - (C) Teá Kesting-Handly
L2 & 3 - (C) Teá Kesting-Handly
Pupa - (C) Teá Kesting-Handly
Pupa - (C) Teá Kesting-Handly
Pupa - (C) Teá Kesting-Handly

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Macroglossinae

Aellopos clavipes
Aellopos fadus
Aellopos tantalus
Aellopos titan
Amphion floridensis
Cautethia grotei
Callionima falcifera
Callionima parce
Darapsa choerilus
Darapsa myron
Darapsa versicolor
Deidemia inscriptum
Enyo lugubris
Enyo ocypete
Erinnyis alope
Erinnyis crameri
Erinnyis ello
Erinnyis guttularis
Erinnyis lassauxii
Erinnyis oenotrus
Erinnyis obscura
Eumorpha achemon
Eumorpha fasciatus
Eumorpha intermedia
Eumorpha labruscae
Eumorpha pandorus
Eumorpha satellitia
Eumorpha vitis
Eumorpha typhon
Eupyrrhoglossum sagra​
Hemaris diffinis
Hemaris gracilis
Hemaris thysbe
Hyles euphorbiae
Hyles gallii
Hyles lineata
Madoryx pseudothyreus
Pachylioides resumens
Pachylia ficus
Perigonia lusca
Phryxus caicus
Proserpinus flavofasciata
Proserpinus gaurae
Proserpinus lucidus
Pseudosphinx tetrio
Sphecodina abbottii
Xylophanes falco
Xylophanes pluto
Xylophanes libya
Xylophanes porcus
Xylophanes tersa

Smerinthinae

Protambulyx strigilis
Amorpha juglandis
Pachysphinx modesta
Pachysphinx occidentalis
Paonias astylus
Paonias excaecata
Paonias myops
Smerinthus cerisyi
Smerinthus jamaicensis

Sphinginae

Agrius cingulata
Ceratomia amyntor
Ceratomia catalpae
Ceratomia hageni
Ceratomia undulosa
Cocytius antaeus
Cocytius duponchel
Dolba hyloeus
Isoparce cupressi
Lapara bombycoides
Lapara coniferarum
Lintneria istar
Lintneria separatus
Lintneria eremitus
Manduca jasminearum
Manduca occulta
Manduca brontes cubensis
Manduca florestan
Manduca muscosa
Manduca quinquemaculatus
Manduca rustica
Manduca sexta
Neococytius cluentius
Paratrea plebeja
Sphinx canadensis
Sphinx chersis
Sphinx dollii
Sphinx drupiferarum
Sphinx frankii
Sphinx gordius
Sphinx kalmiae
Sphinx leucophaeata
Sphinx luscitiosa
Sphinx pinastri
Sphinx poecila 
Copyright © 2020
  • Home
  • Sphingidae Index
    • Macroglossinae >
      • Aellopos >
        • Aellopos clavipes
        • Aellopos fadus
        • Aellopos tantalus
        • Aellopos titan
      • Amphion >
        • Amphion floridensis
      • Callionima >
        • Callionima falcifera
        • Callionima parce
      • Cautethia >
        • Cautethia grotei
      • Darapsa >
        • Darapsa versicolor
        • Darapsa myron
        • Darapsa choerilus
      • Deidamia >
        • Deidamia inscriptum
      • Enyo >
        • Enyo lugubris
        • Enyo ocypete
      • Erinnyis >
        • Erinnyis alope
        • Erinnyis crameri
        • Erinnyis ello
        • Erinnyis guttularis
        • Erinnyis lassauxii
        • Erinnyis oenotrus
        • Erinnyis obscura
      • Eumorpha >
        • Eumorpha pandorus
        • Eumorpha achemon
        • Eumorpha fasciatus
        • Eumorpha satellitia
        • Eumorpha labruscae
        • Eumorpha intermedia
        • Eumorpha vitis
        • Eumorpha typhon
      • Eupyrrhoglossum >
        • Eupyrrhoglossum sagra
      • Hemaris >
        • Hemaris thysbe
        • Hemaris gracilis
        • Hemaris diffinis
      • Hyles >
        • Hyles gallii
        • Hyles euphorbiae
        • Hyles lineata
      • Madoryx >
        • Madoryx pseudothyreus
      • Pachylioides >
        • Pachylioides resumens
      • Pachylia >
        • Pachylia ficus
      • Phryxus >
        • Phryxus caicus
      • Perigonia >
        • Perigonia lusca
      • Proserpinus >
        • Proserpinus flavofasciata
        • Proserpinus gaurae
        • Proserpinus lucidus
        • Proserpinus terlooii
      • Pseudosphinx >
        • Pseudosphinx tetrio
      • Sphecodina >
        • Sphecodina abbottii
      • Xylophanes >
        • Xylophanes falco
        • Xylophanes libya
        • Xylophanes pluto
        • Xylophanes porcus
        • Xylophanes tersa
    • Smerinthinae >
      • Amorpha >
        • Amorpha juglandis
      • Pachysphinx >
        • Pachysphinx modesta
        • Pachysphinx occidentalis
      • Paonias >
        • Paonias excaecata
        • Paonias myops
        • Paonias astylus
      • Protambulyx >
        • Protambulyx strigilis
      • Smerinthus >
        • Smerinthus jamaicensis
        • Smerinthus cerisyi
    • Sphinginae >
      • Agrius >
        • Agrius cingulata
      • Ceratomia >
        • Ceratomia amyntor
        • Ceratomia hageni
        • Ceratomia undulosa
        • Ceratomia catalpae
      • Cocytius >
        • Cocytius antaeus
        • Cocytius duponchel
      • Dolba >
        • Dolba hyloeus
      • Isoparce >
        • Isoparce cupressi
      • Lapara >
        • Lapara coniferarum
        • Lapara bombycoides
      • Lintneria >
        • Lintneria eremitus
        • Lintneria istar
        • Lintneria separatus
      • Manduca >
        • Manduca brontes cubensis
        • Manduca jasminearum
        • Manduca muscosa
        • Manduca occulta
        • Manduca florestan
        • Manduca quinquemaculatus
        • Manduca rustica
        • Manduca sexta
      • Neococytius >
        • Neococytius cluentius
      • Paratrea >
        • Paratrea plebeja
      • Sphinx >
        • Sphinx canadensis
        • Sphinx chersis
        • Sphinx dollii
        • Sphinx drupiferarum
        • Sphinx franckii
        • Sphinx gordius
        • Sphinx kalmiae
        • Sphinx leucophaeata
        • Sphinx luscitiosa
        • Sphinx poecila
        • Sphinx pinastri
  • Final Instar Larva Key
  • Hostplant Index
  • Parasitoids and Predators
  • Range
  • General Information
  • Sources and Acknowledgements
  • Other Resources
    • Sphingidae Publication Library
  • Store