SPHINGIDAE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Erinnyis

Hübner, [1819]

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The genus Erinnyis has 8 species in the USA, and about 12 around the world. This is a New-World genus.

Type specimen: Sphinx (Erinnyis) ello -Linnaeus, 1758

Synonyms: N/A

General Information: These are moths that vary in size from small to medium. They usually have orange or red hindwings (one species has gray) with dark mottled forewings of gray/brown/black.

If you have narrowed something down to this genus, you can use this key to help you narrow down your search to species: 
​1: Forewing length is small, under 30mm in length (2)
1’: Forewing length is larger, over 30mm in length (3)
 
2: Small forewings that are variable from gray to black. May be heavily mottled. The thorax is distinctly gray. The hindwings are red with no black edge. There is a blue/black area in the anal angle of the hindwing… Erinnyis obscura
2’: Forewings very small and plain gray. The hindwings are pure gray. The thorax may have a darker streak in the middle, but is overall gray… Erinnyis guttularis
 
3: Forewings are distinctly gray (4)
3’: Forewings are distinctly brown (6)
 
4: Forewing distinctly gray. Males may have a black streak that runs from the basal part of the wing to the apex. The hindwings are red with a black outline that doesn’t enter the basal angle of the hindwing. There is a small blue spot in the anal angle… Erinnyis ello
4’: Not as above. Uncommon stray (5)
 
5: Forewing gray and heavily maculated with brown and white. There are two dark areas surrounding the discal area in the wing. The hindwings are red with a black margin that stretches nearly the length of the hindwing. An uncommon stray… Erinnyis oenotrus (female)
5’: Forewing gray with brown and white maculations. There are two parallel stripes that run from the basal part of the forewing to the inner margin. The hindwing is red with a very small bluish region near the anal angle. A very rare stray… Erinnyis yucatana
 
6: Forewings distinctly brown with a lighter area that runs through the subterminal area. The apex of the forewing is dark. The hindwings are bright yellow-orange with black edging… Erinnyis alope
6’: Forewings brown or black but the apex of the forewing is light (7)
 
7: Forewings are dark in color, with lighter coloration in the apex, submarginal, and subterminal areas. The hindwing is red with a smooth black margin. An uncommon stray… Erinnyis oenotrus (male)
7’: Forewings are dark, with lighter areas limited to the apex and subterminal areas if present at all (8)
 
8: Forewings are very dark (black usually), with a light apex and lighter subterminal area. The thorax is dark brown with lighter coloration on the sides. The hindwings are red black edging stopping before the basal area. The anal angle has a blue spot… Erinnyis lassauxii
8’: Forewings are dark brown, with lighter brown areas in the apex and subterminal area. The thorax is uniformly brown. The hindwing is red with a scalloped black margin… Erinnyis crameri
​​
Species List:
Erinnyis alope
Erinnyis lassauxii
Erinnyis ello

Erinnyis crameri
Erinnyis obscura
Erinnyis oenotrus
Erinnyis yucatana
Erinnyis guttularis


The gallery below shows photos of select species in the genus.
Erinnyis ello (C) Teá Montagna
Erinnyis alope (C) Roberta Blair
Erinnyis obscura (C) Roy Morris

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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 
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  • 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
        • Hemaris aethra
      • 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 kalmiae
        • Sphinx leucophaeata
        • Sphinx luscitiosa
        • Sphinx poecila
        • Sphinx gordius
        • Sphinx pinastri
  • Final Instar Larva Key
  • Hostplant Index
  • Parasitoids and Predators
  • Range
  • General Information
  • Sources and Acknowledgements
  • Other Resources
    • Sphingidae Publication Library
  • Store
  • Donations