SPHINGIDAE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Paonias excaecata

(Smith, 1797)

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Common names: Blinded Sphinx
Ecology and Life History Overview: This species seems to only fly in the warmer months in the Northeast, and even in Florida, it doesn’t seem to be recorded from December to March. This species is extremely common at lights, and both sexes are attracted to light. It does not feed as an adult. The adults do have a fairly large size difference, with females being much larger and rounder than males.

Habitat and Searching for Larvae: Since this moth seems to feed on seemingly any tree, it can be found in a huge variety of habitats. I have recorded it from every county in Massachusetts, and have found it to be locally abundant in certain places. I haven’t had much luck finding Paonias larvae during the day, however a UV flashlight search at night often yields dozens of larvae. Larvae can be found on nearly any deciduous tree, and many shrubs and bushes.

Rearing Notes: This species can be tricky to keep in captivity. Larvae do not tolerate overcrowding well, especially if you are rearing them in tubs. They don’t much like humidity either. Keeping them in a screen cage on cut hostplant is best, or sleeving them directly on a plant. Larvae grow extremely quickly if kept indoors.

Adult Description: This moth is fairly small (24-40mm forewing length) with scalloped forewings (2). The continuous forewing scallops are unique to this species within the genus Paonias. The overall appearance of this moth is light brown. There is usually some white streaking near the tips of the forewings. The thorax is distinctly brown with a darker brown triangle. The hindwings of this species are quite distinctive, pink with a black and blue false eyespot. This species’ common name comes from the lack of black markings within the eyespot, making it blinded. This moth can superficially resemble Smerinthus species, but those species are more gray than brown, and they all have hindwings with a dark spot in the blue area of the eyespot. The way this moth sits is unique to the subfamily, and will help you narrow down your identification. If the hindwings are pulled up and are viewable from above the forewings, it’s likely a Smerinthinae.
Larval Description:
L5: This larva is incredibly variable. It is overall green-blue to green in color and has highly variable red and purple splotches. It can also be without those markings. The horn is granulose and bluish in color. There are 7 white diagonal streaks on the abdominal segments. The last leads to the horn on the back of the larva.

Picture
(C) JoAnne Russo
Picture
Picture
Hostplants:
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Cloud Database by Caspio
The gallery to the left contains photos of Paonias excaecata 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 Paonias excaecata larval and pupal stages. If you have a photo that you would like to submit to us, please contact us.
(C) Eric Eaton
(C) Eric Eaton
(C) Jacob Gorneau
(C) Eric Eaton
(C) Eric Eaton
(C) Jon Mularczyk
(C) Ken Childs
(C) Ken Childs
(C) Ken Childs
(C) JoAnne Russo
(C) Alex Harmon
(C) Eric Eaton
(C) Eric Eaton
(C) Eric Eaton
(C) Eric Eaton
(C) Maya Shikhman
(C) Maya Shikhman
(C) Teá Montagna
(C) Teá Montagna
(C) Teá Montagna
(C) Teá Montagna
L5 UV (C) Stephen Kloiber
L3 (C) Jon Mularczyk
L5 (C) William J. Lucas, Jr.
L4 (C) Jon Mularczyk
L5 - (C) Teá Montagna
L5 - (C) Teá Montagna
L5 - (C) Teá Montagna
L5 (C) Teá Montagna
L5 (C) Teá Montagna
L5 (C) Teá Montagna
L5 (C) Teá Montagna
L5 - (C) Teá Montagna
L4 - (C) Teá Montagna
L3 - (C) Teá Montagna
L3 - (C) Teá Montagna
L5 - (C) Teá Montagna
L4 - (C) Teá Montagna
Eggs - (C) Teá Montagna
L4 - (C) Teá Montagna
L1 - (C) Teá Montagna
L3 - (C) Teá Montagna
L3 - (C) Teá Montagna
L3 - (C) Teá Montagna
L3 - (C) Teá Montagna
L3 - (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
L2 - (C) Teá Montagna
L3 - (C) Teá Montagna
L3 - (C) Teá Montagna
L3 - (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 juanita
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 juanita
        • 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