Common Name: Doll’s Sphinx
​​
Ecology and Life History: Sphinx dollii is active throughout the evening and night in the summer, and can be quite numerous at times. It can be found in the mountains, deserts, and scrub-lands of the Southwest, up through Nevada and Southern California. This moth is quite attracted to light, and both sexes will show up in good numbers in the right habitats. Both males and females of this species look the same, with females being slightly larger and more rotund than males. Eggs are laid singly on host species (Juniperus spp). Larvae feed solitarily. This moth can be quite variable as an adult, with different populations having slightly different wing maculations, more is written in the adult description pertaining to these forms.

Habitat and Searching for Larvae: {Coming Soon}

Rearing Notes: {Coming Soon}

Adult Description: This is a small sphingid with forewings measuring only about 22-29mm in length (2). Overall, it is a gray-brown moth with a black streak that runs from the apex of the wing to the basal area. There are often lighter markings on the forewings above the black line in the basal area of the wing. The small size, gray wings, and black streak will immediately distinguish this species from other Sphinx spp. except Sphinx sequoiae. This species has gray wings with a brownish cast, and the black streak that runs through the forewings is not interrupted. In Sphinx sequoiae the wings are generally gray with a bluish cast, and the streak that runs through the forewing is interrupted and looks more like multiple small lines. Sphinx dollii is quite regionally variable. Some Northern populations of this species have highly maculated forewings with well defined subterminal lines and a very distinctive lighter basal area (2). Other populations of this moth have virtually no maculations and are quite plain looking with little contrasting coloration (2). Populations in Southern Arizona and New Mexico tend to be a little more blue-gray (these populations occur where Sphinx sequoiae do not) and the subterminal line is quite difficult to see (2).

Larval Description: Larvae are amazing mimics of Juniper species.The larva is primarily green, but with numerous white splotches running in two parallel lines on each side of their body. The spiracles are red and just below the second parallel line. Above their thoracic and prolegs, another line of comma-shaped markings is present. These comma shaped marks are white closer to the head, but become a brownish color above the prolegs. The thoracic legs are green and the head capsule is green with two black lines. The caudal horn is green with a white tip and some small white maculation making it look similar to a Juniper sprig. The base of the caudal horn is orange.

Click here to load this Caspio Cloud Database

Cloud Database by Caspio

(C) Jean Haxaire

The gallery to the left contains photos of Sphinx dollii adults. you have a photo that you would like to submit to us, please contact us.

The gallery to the right contains photos of Sphinx dollii larval and pupal stages. If you have a photo that you would like to submit to us, please contact us.