Bug FAQObscure Sphinx
Erinnyis obscura · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Sphingidae
Also called: Obscure Sphinx Moth
Erinnyis obscura, called the obscure sphinx, is a moth in the hawk-moth family. It occurs from northern South America through the central United States, and adults can be seen all year in tropical areas, southern Florida and southern Texas. The caterpillars feed on a variety of plants in the Apocynaceae and related families, including papaya and several spurge species.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Erinnyis obscura is a moth belonging to the family Sphingidae.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars eat several members of the Apocynaceae family such as Rauvolfia species, Stemmadenia, Philibertia, Cynanchum and papaya, as well as spurge-related plants like Blepharodon, Funastrum and Morrenia.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing throughout the year in tropical zones, southern Florida and southern Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes northern South America and extends into the central United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 23 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Florida, Arizona, California, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arkansas, Kansas.
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 obscure sphinx caterpillars eat?
They feed on various Apocynaceae members like Rauvolfia, Stemmadenia, Philibertia, Cynanchum and papaya, plus spurge-related species such as Blepharodon, Funastrum and Morrenia.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find the obscure sphinx moth?
It is found from northern South America up through the central United States, and adults are active year-round in tropical areas, southern Florida and southern Texas.
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/Erinnyis_obscura
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.