White lined sphinx moth

Description:

Look who came back to visit! I always get excited to see this beautiful, large moth at my house. It was particularly active tonight, vibrating its wings while at rest rapidly. Love this moth! The fore wing is dark brown with a tan stripe which extends from the base to the apex. There are also white lines that cover the veins. The black hind wing has a broad pink median band. It has a wingspan of 2 to 3 inches.

Habitat:

The adult of this species is a key pollinator of the rare lemon lily (Lilium parryi) in California. The caterpillars of this species eat: Willow weed (Epilobium) Four o'clock (Mirabilis jalapa) Apple (Malus) Evening primrose (Oenothera) Elm (Ulmus) Grape (Vitis) Tomato (Lycopersicon) Purslane (Portulaca) Fuchsia

Notes:

The White-lined sphinx may be encountered from April to October. The moth's range is throughout the United States and extends north into southern and mid western Canada and south into Mexico. It can also be found occasionally in the West Indies.