SPHINGIDAE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Lintneria eremitus

​(Hübner, 1823)

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Common Name(s): Hermit Sphinx
​

Ecology and Life History: This moth flies in late June and July primarily. Given that it is not found very far south, it can not be found year-round anywhere in its range. This species will come to light, but never commonly. Bait is an ineffective method for trapping this species. Males and females are not dimorphic and have the same pattern. Females are slightly larger than males, and have a rounder abdomen. Eggs are laid on the leaves and stems of hostplants. This species prefers plants in the Lamiaceae (Mint Family) and as such can be a common garden visitor. The younger larvae tend to hide on the undersides of leaves near the stem, seeming to mimic the petiole of the leaf. Older larvae are more conspicuous and likely hide off the plant in dead leaves during the day.

Habitat and Searching for Larvae: Searching plants in the Lamiaceae is the best way to start looking for this species. They have been found on Salvia, Agastache, Mentha, and Monarda. As none of these plants ever grow very tall, the larvae are never out of reach. Younger instars hide on the undersides of leaves near the stems, or sitting on the stem right underneath a leaf. At night, larvae ascend the plant and begin consuming leaves from the edge inward. They can often be found near the flowers feeding at night on some plants like Monarda. This species inhabits parks, edges, yards, gardens, fields, and wetlands where its hostplants grow. Larvae can be found from late July through September and October. Younger instars of this species fluoresce highly under UV light. Final instar larvae do not fluoresce.

Rearing Notes: We have not been able to gather eggs from this species yet. Placing females in a paper bag or styrofoam cooler would likely work quite well. Alternatively, a flight cage with hostplants may work too. The adults do feed, and would likely need to be fed in captivity. These larvae accept many species in the Lamiaceae and are not picky, switching to various plants throughout their growth if offered. Larvae tend to grow quickly and largest on Monarda. This species is highly susceptible to disease. Occasionally large batches of larvae will all perish due to a viral or bacterial infection. Keep rearing conditions extremely clean, and not over-crowded will usually yield pupae. This species is sensitive to being crowded, it is not recommended to keep more than 8 individuals together when rearing in tupperware. More larvae can be housed together if using a large cage, or sleeve. Ventilation is key to rearing this species. Sleeving is a great method, and many larvae can be reared this way successfully. Pupation is simple using the paper towel method (outlined in the general information tab of this website) or allowing larvae to tunnel into a loose soil media.

Host plants:
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Picture
(C) Brian Klassanos
Picture
Picture
Adult description: 
This is a fairly small moth with forewings 27-37mm in length (1). The overall appearance of this moth is yellow-brown or gray and quite mottled. There are black and white streaks throughout the wings. There is a large silvery discal spot, and another smaller spot above it. The thorax is gray with various black lines. The hindwings are black with a white area near the top, and then a very distinctive white line in the middle of the wing. This moth can be confused with Paratrea plebeja and Sphinx canadensis. The hindwings are dramatically different than the solid black of Paratrea plebeja, and Sphinx canadensis lacks the discal spots.

Larval description:
L5:  The larva is very distinctive. It is predominantly black and has a large black oval outlined by cream on the dorsal portion of the thoracic segments, usually right behind a raised area. The horn is small, black, and hooks sharply backward. The spiracles are well defined and outlined with black circles. There are usually white lines on the abdominal segments sometimes bisecting the spiracles. There are cream speckles on the larva.
The gallery to the left contains photos of Lintneria eremitus 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 Lintneria eremitus larval and pupal stages. If you have a photo that you would like to submit to us, please contact us.
(C) Brian Klassanos
(C) Teá Montagna
(C) Teá Montagna
L4 (C) Jon Mularczyk
L3 (C) Jacob Gorneau
L5 (C) Jon Mularczyk
L5 (C) Jacob Gorneau
L5 (C) Jon Mularczy
L3 - (C) Marcie O'Connor
L5 (C) Marcie O'Connor
L1 - (C) Jennifer Rose
L1 - (C) Jennifer Rose
L5 (C) Teá Montagna
L5 (C) Teá Montagna
L5 (C) Teá Montagna
L3 (C) Teá Montagna
L4 (C) Teá Montagna
L4 (C) Teá Montagna
L5 (C) Teá Montagna
L5 (C) Teá Montagna
L5 (C) Teá Montagna
L5 (C) Teá Montagna
L5 (C) Teá Montagna
Pupa (C) Teá Montagna
Pupa (C) Teá Montagna
Pupa (C) Teá Montagna

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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 © 2023
  • 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