The Hermit Sphinx 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 family 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,...

. It is found in the temperate areas of the eastern United States

United States

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

, north into southern 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...

 over the Great Plains. It prefers gardens and yards, but is common wherever the nectar and larval host plants are found. This moth is easily confused with the Canadian Sphinx (Sphinx canadensis

Sphinx canadensis

The Canadian Sphinx is a member of the family Sphingidae that is found the Northeastern United States and as north as Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada....

) but these two moths do not typically co-occur.

The wingspan

Wingspan

The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...

 is 65-75 mm. There is one generation per year with adults on wing from late June to August. They nectar at deep-throated, light colored flowers such as phlox (Phlox spp.) or milkweed (Asclepias spp.). Adults typically fly at dusk. They are easily attracted to light.

The larvae feed on many plants in the Lamiaceae

Lamiaceae

The mints, taxonomically known as Lamiaceae or Labiatae, are a family of flowering plants. They have traditionally been considered closely related to Verbenaceae, but in the 1990s, phylogenetic studies suggested that many genera classified in Verbenaceae belong instead in Lamiaceae...

 family, such as Lycopus

Lycopus

Lycopus is a genus of about a dozen species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae. They are all herbaceous plants native to Europe, northwest Asia, and North America. The species are most often found in wetlands, damp meadows, and stream banks...

, Mentha

Mentha

Mentha is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae . The species are not clearly distinct and estimates of the number of species varies from 13 to 18. Hybridization between some of the species occurs naturally...

, Monarda

Monarda

Monarda is a genus consisting of roughly 16 species of erect, herbaceous, annual or perennial plants in the family Lamiaceae. The genus is endemic to North America. Ranging in height from 1 to 3 feet , the plants have an equal spread, with slender and long-tapering leaves...

and Salvia

Salvia

Salvia is the largest genus of plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, with approximately 700-900 species of shrubs, herbaceous perennials, and annuals. It is one of several genera commonly referred to as sage. When used without modifiers, sage generally refers to Salvia officinalis ; however, it is...

species. Larvae have green, black, or brown coloration.

External links

• Hermit Sphinx Moths of North America Guide
• Moths of North Dakota