Bug FAQLaurel Sphinx
Sphinx kalmiae · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Sphingidae
Also called: Fawn Sphinx, Laurel Sphinx Moth
The laurel sphinx is a moth in the family Sphingidae identified as Sphinx kalmiae. Its caterpillars feed on plants such as laurel, Kalmia, lilac and ash, and adults appear from late May to August depending on the region.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Sphinx kalmiae, known as the laurel sphinx, belongs to the moth family Sphingidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The adult’s wingspan ranges from 75 to 103 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on species of Chionanthus, Kalmia, Syringa and Fraxinus.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active from late May through August, varying by latitude.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 39 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Vermont, Ohio, Minnesota, Michigan, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania.
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 laurel sphinx caterpillars eat?
The caterpillars feed on laurel, Kalmia, lilac and ash species.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the laurel sphinx found in North America?
It lives in temperate areas of the United States and southern Canada, mainly east of the Great Plains and also west of the Rockies in the 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_kalmiae
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.