The Modest Sphinx or Poplar Sphinx (Pachysphinx modesta) is a moth

Moth

A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...

 of the Sphingidae

Sphingidae

Sphingidae is a family of moths , commonly known as hawk moths, sphinx moths and hornworms, that includes about 1,200 species . It is best represented in the tropics but there are species in every region . They are moderate to large in size and are distinguished among moths for their rapid,...

 family. It ranges from the southern United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 up and throughout Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

.

Adults are on wing from mid June to mid July in Canada. In the northern part of the range, there is one generation with adults on wing from may to July. Farther south, there might be two generations per year.

The larvae feed on poplar, willow and cottonwood species.

External links

• Modest sphinx Butterflies and Moths of North America