''Lintneria eremitus'', the hermit sphinx, is a

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

of the family

Sphingidae The Sphingidae are a family of moths (Lepidoptera) called sphinx moths, also colloquially known as hawk moths, with many of their caterpillars known as “hornworms”; it includes about 1,450 species. It is best represented in the tropics, bu ...

. The species was first described by

Jacob Hübner Jacob Hübner (20 June 1761 – 13 September 1826, in Augsburg) was a German entomologist. He was the author of ''Sammlung Europäischer Schmetterlinge'' (1796–1805), a founding work of entomology. Scientific career Hübner was the author of '' ...

in 1823. It is found in the temperate areas of the eastern United States, north into southern

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

over the

Great Plains The Great Plains (french: Grandes Plaines), sometimes simply "the Plains", is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. It is located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, an ...

. 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. The species was first described by Jean Baptiste Boisduval in 1875. Distribution That is found the northeastern United States and as north as Newfoundland and L ...

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

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingspan of ...

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 ''Phlox'' (; Greek φλόξ "flame"; plural "phlox" or "phloxes", Greek φλόγες ''phlóges'') is a genus of 67 species of perennial and annual plants in the family Polemoniaceae. They are found mostly in North America (one in Siberia) in di ...

'' species) or milkweed (''

Asclepias ''Asclepias'' is a genus of herbaceous, perennial, flowering plants known as milkweeds, named for their latex, a milky substance containing cardiac glycosides termed cardenolides, exuded where cells are damaged. Most species are toxic to humans ...

'' species). Adults typically fly at dusk. They are easily attracted to light. Lintneria eremitus MHNT Cut 2010 0 472 - Quakertown Bucks County, Pennsylvania, USA - Male dorsal.jpg, ''Lintneria eremitus'' ♂ Lintneria eremitus MHNT Cut 2010 0 472 - Quakertown Bucks County, Pennsylvania, USA - Male ventral.jpg, ''Lintneria eremitus'' ♂ △ Lintneria eremitus MHNT Cut 2010 0 472 - Scott City, Kansas, USA - Female dorsal.jpg, ''Lintneria eremitus'' ♀ Lintneria eremitus MHNT Cut 2010 0 472 - Scott City, Kansas, USA - Female ventral.jpg, ''Lintneria eremitus'' ♀ △ The larvae feed on many plants in the family

Lamiaceae The Lamiaceae ( ) or Labiatae are a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint, deadnettle or sage family. Many of the plants are aromatic in all parts and include widely used culinary herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, sage, savory ...

, such as ''

Lycopus ''Lycopus'' (water horehound, gypsywort, or bugleweed) is a genus in the family Lamiaceae. They are all herbaceous plants native to Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America. The species are most often found in wetlands, damp meadows, and strea ...

'', ''

Mentha ''Mentha'' (also known as mint, from Greek , Linear B ''mi-ta'') is a genus of plants in the family Lamiaceae (mint family). The exact distinction between species is unclear; it is estimated that 13 to 24 species exist. Hybridization occurs n ...

'', ''

Monarda ''Monarda'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae.Harley, R. M., et al. 2004. "Labiatae". pp 167-275 In: Kubitzki, K. (editor) and J. W. Kadereit (volume editor). ''The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants'' volume VII. ...

'' and ''

Salvia ''Salvia'' () is the largest genus of plants in the sage family Lamiaceae, with nearly 1000 species of shrubs, herbaceous plant, herbaceous perennial plant, perennials, and annual plant, annuals. Within the Lamiaceae, ''Salvia'' is part of the ...

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

References

External links

"Hermit sphinx (''Sphinx eremitus'')"
''Moths of North America''. U.S. Geological Survey Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center. Archived November 13, 2005. * Lintneria Moths described in 1823 Moths of North America {{Sphinginae-stub