Bug FAQSatellite Sphinx
Eumorpha satellitia · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Sphingidae
The satellite sphinx is a moth in the Sphingidae family with a wingspan of about 11 to 13 cm. It occurs from Brazil and northern Argentina through Central America, Mexico, the West Indies, and reaches the southern United States in Texas and Arizona. Adults drink nectar from flowers such as petunias, while the caterpillars feed on vines of Cissus species.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Eumorpha satellitia, called the satellite sphinx, belongs to the moth family Sphingidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 114 to 134 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adult moths sip nectar from a variety of flowers, including petunias, soapwort, and Lychnis alba. The larvae feed on the vines Cissus pseudosicyoides and Cissus rhombifolia.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Pupation occurs underground.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from April through August and again in October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to Brazil, northern Argentina, Central America, Mexico, the West Indies, and the southern United States (Texas and Arizona).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 8 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Arizona, New York, Illinois, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Kansas.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are adult satellite sphinx moths active?
They fly from April to August and have a second flight period in October.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the caterpillars eat?
Caterpillars feed on the vines Cissus pseudosicyoides and Cissus rhombifolia.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find this moth?
It is found from Brazil and northern Argentina through Central America, Mexico, the West Indies, and into southern Texas and Arizona.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Sphingidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eumorpha_satellitia
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-29 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-29.