The top of the hindwing is black with a dark pink band. The top of the forewing is a dark olive brown with lighter brown on the margin with a narrow tan band along the wingtip to the base and white streaks on the veins. Sphinx moths are medium to large in size with thick bodies and wingspans of 5 inches or more.
The larvae look very similar to tobacco hornworms. Closely related to the catalpa sphinx waved sphinx larvae feed on ash trees lilac and a few other hosts. Ceratomia undulosa pictured below are the adult and larval forms of the waved sphinx moth ceratomia undulosa.
Waved sphinx genus and species. Sometimes in an effort to respond to as many letters as. This is a waved sphinx not carolina sphinx.
If you are interested you should see if there are any national moth week events in your area. Dear black zarak congratulations on your newest moth sighting and we agree that it is a carolina sphinx by comparing your image to images on the sphingidae of the americas website. I wasn t sure which moth it was but it looked a bit like a tomato hornworm so i figured it was the immature stage of a moth.
As it was inter national moth week i was keeping an eye out for moths on my nature walks and quite pleased when i chanced upon this large caterpillar. The furry brown thorax is ringed in black with white along the inner bottom edge. Black dashes look like pleats and run vertically down the wing but none are close to the base.
A white spot sits almost centered on each wing. Big and brown the waved sphinx moth has a series of wavy lines that cross its forewings. The hindwing is brownish gray with three darker lines crossing wing and with a white and dark checkered fringe.
The waved sphinx moth ceratomia undulosa forewing is variably pale gray to yellowish brown with a distinct white reniform spot and several dark wavy lines completely crossing wing the forewing lacks black basal dash an important distinction.
