Bug FAQAchemon Sphinx
Eumorpha achemon · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Sphingidae
Also called: Achemon Sphinx Moth
Source: Wikipedia
The Achemon sphinx has a wingspan of about 9-10 cm. Adults are active from late spring to late summer, with one generation in the north and two in the south. They feed on nectar from various flowers and on the leaves of grape-vine relatives, sometimes harming vineyard crops.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 87 to 97 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Often found on wild and cultivated grape vines and can appear in vineyards feeding on leaves.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adults sip nectar from flowers such as Japanese honeysuckle, petunias, mock orange, and phlox. They also feed on the foliage of Virginia creeper and Ampelopsis species, including cultivated grapes.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
In northern areas adults fly from June to August in a single generation.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Northern adults are on wing June-August; southern adults appear May-August.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
The pale-pink hindwing with a dark submarginal band distinguishes it from all other Eumorpha species.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 47 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Colorado, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nevada.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What plants do Achemon sphinx caterpillars eat?
They feed on the leaves of grape vines and related Vitaceae such as Virginia creeper and Ampelopsis.
Source: Wikipedia
When can I see adult Achemon sphinx moths?
In the north they appear from June to August, while in the south they may be seen from May through August, with two generations.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I tell an Achemon sphinx from other hawk moths?
Look for a nearly uniform pale-pink hindwing upperside that runs from the base to a dark brown submarginal band.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Sphingidae)
White-lined SphinxHyles lineataDamages trees, gardens or crops
Eurasian Hummingbird HawkmothMacroglossum stellatarum
Snowberry ClearwingHemaris diffinis
Carolina SphinxManduca sextaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Hummingbird ClearwingHemaris thysbeDamages trees, gardens or crops
Elephant HawkmothDeilephila elpenorSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eumorpha_achemon
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.