Bug FAQCanadian Sphinx
Sphinx canadensis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Sphingidae
Also called: northern ash sphinx, Canadian Sphinx Moth
The Canadian sphinx has a wingspan of about 70 to 85 mm and flies in late July to early August. Its forewings are gray-brown with black vein streaks broken by white lines, and the hindwings show black and white bands. It lives in the northeastern United States and up into Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, where its larvae feed only on black ash at swamp edges.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The hindwing has a pattern of black and white bands.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults have a wingspan between 70 and 85 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Larvae are found on black ash (Fraxinus nigra) growing at swamp edges.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adults feed on nectar from Phlox species and bouncing bet (Saponaria officinalis).
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Flight period is late July to early August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It occurs in the northeastern United States and as far north as Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It can be confused with the hermit sphinx (Sphinx eremitus), but unlike that species it lacks a white spot.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 16 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Maine, Tennessee, Missouri, Alabama.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are Canadian sphinx moths active?
Adults are most commonly seen in very late July and early August.
Source: Wikipedia
What plants do the caterpillars eat?
The caterpillars feed only on black ash (Fraxinus nigra).
Source: Wikipedia
How can I tell a Canadian sphinx apart from a hermit sphinx?
The Canadian sphinx lacks the white spot that the hermit sphinx has.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Sphingidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphinx_canadensis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.