Bug FAQNessus Sphinx
Amphion floridensis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Sphingidae
Also called: Nessus Sphinx Moth
Source: Wikipedia
The Nessus Sphinx is a medium-sized moth with a wingspan of about 4 to 5 cm. Adults have a stout body, reddish-brown upper wings and two bright yellow bands on the abdomen, while larvae feed on grape vines, ornamental vines and pepper plants. It lives in eastern North America, from Maine to Florida and west to Colorado, and prefers wooded areas, orchards and stream edges.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The moth has a stout body, reddish-brown upper wings and two bright yellow bands across the abdomen.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 37 to 55 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adults sip nectar from a variety of flowers such as lilac, geranium, kolkwitzia, mock orange and phlox. Larvae feed on grape vines, ornamental vines and pepper plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from April to July, producing one generation in the north and two in the south.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults appear from April through July, with one generation in northern areas and two in southern areas.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
In Canada its range extends from southeastern Manitoba to Nova Scotia.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 41 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, New York, North Carolina, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Virginia, Maryland.
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 can the larvae damage?
The caterpillars feed on grape vines, ornamental vines and pepper plants, which can harm those crops.
Source: Wikipedia
When can I see adult moths?
Adults are active from April to July, with one generation in the north and two in the south.
Source: Wikipedia
Where does this moth live?
It lives in eastern U.S. states from Maine to Florida and west to Colorado, and in parts of eastern Canada.
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/Amphion_floridensis
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.