Bug FAQPine Hawkmoth
Sphinx pinastri · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Sphingidae
Also called: Larch hawk moth, Pine Hawk-Moth
Source: Wikipedia
The pine hawkmoth has a wingspan of about 70 to 89 mm. Its grey wings show black dashes and the back of the thorax has two dark side bands. Adults fly from April to August, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The wings are grey with black dashes. The thorax’s back is grey with two dark bands on each side.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 2 ¾ to 3 ½ inches (70 to 89 mm).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It occurs in the Palearctic region and occasionally in the Nearctic region.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Females lay eggs in small groups of two or three on pine or spruce needles.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The moth is on the wing from April through August, varying by location.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes the Palearctic realm and sometimes the Nearctic realm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 4 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, New Jersey, Kansas, Maine.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: introduced in United States; introduced in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
More photos
Questions people ask
When are pine hawkmoths active?
Adults fly from April to August, depending on where they live.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find pine hawkmoths?
They are found across the Palearctic region and sometimes in the Nearctic region.
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_pinastri
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.