Elm sphinx

Ceratomia amyntor

''Ceratomia amyntor'', the elm sphinx or four-horned sphinx, is a North American moth in the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Carl Geyer in 1835. It has a wingspan of ​3 1⁄4-​4 1⁄2 inches . As the name suggests, the larvae feed on elm trees , but they can also be found feeding on birch , basswood , and cherry . When the caterpillars are ready, they crawl to the bottom of the host tree, where they crawl underneath the soil and pupate and may overwinter underground if late enough into the year. Vegetable growers should be aware of this larvae due to its insatiable appetite. One of these larvae are capable in devouring huge amounts of plant's foliage and even succulent stems.
Elm Sphinx - Ceratomia amyntor TL: ~60 mm. Brown FW streaked with olive in median area. Black dashes from base to apex. White, bar-shaped reniform spot. Hosts: Elm, birch, cherry, and basswood. Habitat: Attracted to a 395 nm LED light in a semi-rural area https://www.jungledragon.com/image/82388/elm_sphinx_-_ceratomia_amyntor.html Ceratomia amyntor,Elm sphinx,Geotagged,Summer,United States,moth,moth week 2019

Status

The species is not threatened.
Elm Sphinx - Ceratomia amyntor TL: ~60 mm. Brown FW streaked with olive in median area. Black dashes from base to apex. White, bar-shaped reniform spot. Hosts: Elm, birch, cherry, and basswood. Habitat: Attracted to a 395 nm LED light in a semi-rural area https://www.jungledragon.com/image/82371/elm_sphinx_-_ceratomia_amyntor.html Ceratomia amyntor,Elm sphinx,Geotagged,Summer,United States,moth,moth week 2019

Behavior

''C amyntor'' adults fly as a single brood in the northern portions of their range from June to July. There are two broods further south, flying later into the year, and five broods have been confirmed in Louisiana from March to October.
Elm Sphinx - Ceratomia amyntor TL: ~60 mm. Brown FW streaked with olive in median area. Black dashes from base to apex. White, bar-shaped reniform spot. Hosts: Elm, birch, cherry, and basswood. Habitat: Attracted to a 395 nm LED light in a semi-rural area https://www.jungledragon.com/image/82370/elm_sphinx_-_ceratomia_amyntor.html Ceratomia amyntor,Elm sphinx,Geotagged,Summer,United States,moth week 2019

Reproduction

Larvae come in two different color phases; a green phase, and a dark phase which differs in shades of brown, orange, and somewhat of a pinkish brown. Larvae complete all five instars within approximately one month. The first instar is the same shade of green as its egg. As the larva progresses through its instars, change in structure is noticeable. The caterpillar sports four, long, horn-like projections - in addition to the tail horn - from above its head, which is why the elm sphinx is sometimes called the four-horned sphinx.
Elm Sphinx - Ceratomia amyntor TL: ~60 mm. Brown FW streaked with olive in median area. Black dashes from base to apex. White, bar-shaped reniform spot. Hosts: Elm, birch, cherry, and basswood. Habitat: Attracted to a 395 nm LED light in a semi-rural area https://www.jungledragon.com/image/82387/elm_sphinx_-_ceratomia_amyntor.html Ceratomia amyntor,Elm sphinx,Geotagged,Summer,United States,moth,moth week 2019

Food

*''Ulmus''
⤷ ''Betula''
⤷ ''Tilia''
⤷ ''Prunus''
⤷ Tomato plants
⤷ Pepper plants

References:

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Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderLepidoptera
FamilySphingidae
GenusCeratomia
SpeciesC. amyntor
Photographed in
United States of America