Bug FAQGreat Ash Sphinx
Sphinx chersis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Sphingidae
Also called: Great Ash Sphinx Moth
Source: Wikipedia
Adults have a wingspan of about 9 to 13 cm and show dark gray to blue-gray forewings with black dashes and black hindwings with pale gray bands. Caterpillars pupate underground and emerge as moths from May to August in the South and from June to July farther north.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The hindwing upperside is black with blurry pale gray bands.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from about 90 to 130 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Larvae feed on various Oleaceae plants such as lilac, ash and privet.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adult moths visit deep-throated flowers at dusk, including honeysuckle, evening primrose, dogbane, phlox and bouncing bet.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Fully grown caterpillars leave the foliage to pupate in underground chambers and remain there through the winter.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Moths emerge from May to August in southern areas and from June to July in more northern regions.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It occurs throughout most of the United States and northern Mexico wherever its host plants grow, but is uncommon in the Gulf States.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It looks very similar to other members of the Sphinginae subfamily.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 36 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Maine, Vermont, Michigan.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What plants do the caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed on lilac, ash and privet, which are members of the olive family.
Source: Wikipedia
When can I see the adult moths?
Adults are on the wing from May through August in the South and from June to July farther north.
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/Sphinx_chersis
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.