The genus Sphinx has 10 species in the USA, and about 29 around the world.
Type specimen: Sphinx ligustri - Linnaeus, 1758
Synonyms: N/A
General Information: These are medium to large moths, most have mottled forewings of various coloration. The abdomens often have spotting running down the sides.
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 distinctly light brown (2)
1’: Forewing not distinctly light brown (3)
2: Forewing evenly brown, often with some black/white streaking. The subterminal area is black… Sphinx kalmiae
2’: Forewing brown but getting much grayer toward the costa giving it a bicolored appearance. The thorax is gray with a hollow brown bell-shaped mark… Sphinx franckii
3: Very large moth, white-gray forewing color with little to no maculation. The forewing is extremely large (<60mm). A rare stray…. Sphinx leucophaeta
3’: Forewing is less than 60mm in length, and otherwise not as above (4)
4: Thorax coloration is very dark with no lighter coloration in the middle (5)
4’: Thorax coloration is light, usually gray, with some black lines, but is light in the center (9)
5: Forewing mostly gray/gray-brown (6)
5’: Forewing gray with darker areas, but always having a light patch from the basal area to the discal area (8)
6: Forewing gray-brown with a black submarginal area. The hindwings are distinctly yellow in males, and more of a creamy yellow in females… Sphinx luscitiosa
6’: Not as above (7)
7: The ground color of the wings is gray. There may be very dark black streaking. The submarginal area is distinctly darker than the ground color of the wings… Sphinx gordius
7’: The ground color of the wings is gray. There may be very dark-gray or black streaking. The submarginal area is NOT darker than the ground color of the wings… Sphinx poecila
8: Forewings are distinctly gray with a large dark black area running from apex to basal area of the forewing. The submarginal area is outlined by a white line… Sphinx drupiferarum
8’: Forewings are gray with a darker (not always black) medial area. There is a wavy black subterminal line. The hindwing fringe is checkered black and white and the adjacent area on the wing is dark… Sphinx perelegans
9: Forewing length is extremely small (>30mm) in length (10)
9’: Not as above (11)
10: Small moth, forewings gray with a brown cast. There is a large bold streak running from the apex to the base of the forewing… Sphinx dollii
10’: Small moth, forewings gray with bluish cast. There is a small black dash in the apex and basal area of the wing, but no streak connecting the dashes… Sphinx sequoia
11: Forewing gray with many gray/white/brown dashes. The thorax is overall gray but is outlined in white and the inner section has two black bands bordered on the inside by white. There may be a white streak in the very center of the thorax… Sphinx canadensis
11’: Not as above (12)
12: The abdomen of the moth has a noticeable black line running down the center starting in between the first pair of white markings and running to the end of the abdomen (13)
12’: The abdomen lacks a black line down the center. The moth is usually quite large and gray. The thorax is gray with only one pair of black lines on it… Sphinx chersis
13: The black line in the submarginal area is wavy, toothed, or jagged (14)
13’: The black line in the submarginal area is essentially entirely smooth (15)
14: The black line from the apex of the forewing to the basal area is almost entirely continuous. There are 2 pairs of black lines on the thorax… Sphinx libocedrus
14’: The black wavy submarginal line is highlighted by a white-gray area around it. The forewings may have a purplish tint. Currently all records are from Texas… Sphinx chisoya
15: There is a series of black dashes that runs the forewings from the apex to the base almost in a line. The overall appearance of this moth is a smooth dark gray color. The throax has 2 pairs of black lines on it, though the outermost pair may be quite faint… Sphinx asellus
15’: The straight submarginal line is bordered by a lighter area. The thorax has one pair of thick black lines with a gray region in the middle… Sphinx vashti
Species List:
Sphinx chersis
Sphinx vashti
Sphinx libocedrus
Sphinx perelegans
Sphinx asellus
Sphinx canadensis
Sphinx franckii
Sphinx kalmiae
Sphinx gordius
Sphinx poecila
Sphinx luscitiosa
Sphinx drupiferarum
Sphinx dollii
Sphinx sequoiae
Sphinx chisoya
Sphinx leucophaeata
Sphinx pinastri
The gallery below shows photos of select species in the genus.
Type specimen: Sphinx ligustri - Linnaeus, 1758
Synonyms: N/A
General Information: These are medium to large moths, most have mottled forewings of various coloration. The abdomens often have spotting running down the sides.
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 distinctly light brown (2)
1’: Forewing not distinctly light brown (3)
2: Forewing evenly brown, often with some black/white streaking. The subterminal area is black… Sphinx kalmiae
2’: Forewing brown but getting much grayer toward the costa giving it a bicolored appearance. The thorax is gray with a hollow brown bell-shaped mark… Sphinx franckii
3: Very large moth, white-gray forewing color with little to no maculation. The forewing is extremely large (<60mm). A rare stray…. Sphinx leucophaeta
3’: Forewing is less than 60mm in length, and otherwise not as above (4)
4: Thorax coloration is very dark with no lighter coloration in the middle (5)
4’: Thorax coloration is light, usually gray, with some black lines, but is light in the center (9)
5: Forewing mostly gray/gray-brown (6)
5’: Forewing gray with darker areas, but always having a light patch from the basal area to the discal area (8)
6: Forewing gray-brown with a black submarginal area. The hindwings are distinctly yellow in males, and more of a creamy yellow in females… Sphinx luscitiosa
6’: Not as above (7)
7: The ground color of the wings is gray. There may be very dark black streaking. The submarginal area is distinctly darker than the ground color of the wings… Sphinx gordius
7’: The ground color of the wings is gray. There may be very dark-gray or black streaking. The submarginal area is NOT darker than the ground color of the wings… Sphinx poecila
8: Forewings are distinctly gray with a large dark black area running from apex to basal area of the forewing. The submarginal area is outlined by a white line… Sphinx drupiferarum
8’: Forewings are gray with a darker (not always black) medial area. There is a wavy black subterminal line. The hindwing fringe is checkered black and white and the adjacent area on the wing is dark… Sphinx perelegans
9: Forewing length is extremely small (>30mm) in length (10)
9’: Not as above (11)
10: Small moth, forewings gray with a brown cast. There is a large bold streak running from the apex to the base of the forewing… Sphinx dollii
10’: Small moth, forewings gray with bluish cast. There is a small black dash in the apex and basal area of the wing, but no streak connecting the dashes… Sphinx sequoia
11: Forewing gray with many gray/white/brown dashes. The thorax is overall gray but is outlined in white and the inner section has two black bands bordered on the inside by white. There may be a white streak in the very center of the thorax… Sphinx canadensis
11’: Not as above (12)
12: The abdomen of the moth has a noticeable black line running down the center starting in between the first pair of white markings and running to the end of the abdomen (13)
12’: The abdomen lacks a black line down the center. The moth is usually quite large and gray. The thorax is gray with only one pair of black lines on it… Sphinx chersis
13: The black line in the submarginal area is wavy, toothed, or jagged (14)
13’: The black line in the submarginal area is essentially entirely smooth (15)
14: The black line from the apex of the forewing to the basal area is almost entirely continuous. There are 2 pairs of black lines on the thorax… Sphinx libocedrus
14’: The black wavy submarginal line is highlighted by a white-gray area around it. The forewings may have a purplish tint. Currently all records are from Texas… Sphinx chisoya
15: There is a series of black dashes that runs the forewings from the apex to the base almost in a line. The overall appearance of this moth is a smooth dark gray color. The throax has 2 pairs of black lines on it, though the outermost pair may be quite faint… Sphinx asellus
15’: The straight submarginal line is bordered by a lighter area. The thorax has one pair of thick black lines with a gray region in the middle… Sphinx vashti
Species List:
Sphinx chersis
Sphinx vashti
Sphinx libocedrus
Sphinx perelegans
Sphinx asellus
Sphinx canadensis
Sphinx franckii
Sphinx kalmiae
Sphinx gordius
Sphinx poecila
Sphinx luscitiosa
Sphinx drupiferarum
Sphinx dollii
Sphinx sequoiae
Sphinx chisoya
Sphinx leucophaeata
Sphinx pinastri
The gallery below shows photos of select species in the genus.
