SPHINX MOTHS GROUP #2: waved, catalpa, canadian, and Trumpet Vine sphinx
Waved Sphinx moth. This is a very fresh individual with bolder black streaks than most of the Waved Sphinx moths that I see.
Catalpa Sphinx. This moth is similar to the Waved Sphinx (above), but Catalpas are smaller and brownish rather than gray. Catalpa Sphinx moths also have fewer wavy lines on their wings, and the spots on a Catalpa Sphinx are filled with a dull gray or brown color. The spots on a Waved Sphinx moth (above) are filled with white.
This is a Trumpet Vine Sphinx, also known as the Plebian (or Plebeian) Sphinx. Notice the vertical black dashes on its wings. These moths are noticably smaller than Waved and Catalpa Sphinx moths. They are somewhat similar to Canadian Sphinx moths, but notice that this Trumpet Vine Sphinx has white reniform spots and lacks the banding on its abdomen. Plebian Sphinx moths feed on trumpet vines and hardy passionflowers. (I have both plants in my yard). I have found a couple of these moths in July and August, but they are not very common at my lights.
Catalpa Sphinx moths fly from May through early September.
Another Waved Sphinx moth. This one is more worn and faded than the fresh individual above.
Another Catalpa Sphinx. These are the most common sphinx moths at my lights during the summer.
Another Waved Sphinx moth. They come to my lights in small numbers from late April through August.
This is a Canadian Sphinx moth. Notice that this moth does not have reniform spots, unlike the other 3 species on this page.
Canadian Sphinx moths are apparently somewhat uncommon. I found this species at my moth lights on four separate occasions in June and July 2025, but 2025 was the first year I had seen this species in my yard. They feed on ash trees.
This is a close-up of a Canadian Sphinx moth, showing the banded abdomen and bands on the hindwings.