Bug FAQVine Sphinx
Eumorpha vitis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Sphingidae
Source: Wikipedia
The vine sphinx moth has a wingspan of about 85 to 105 mm. Its larvae eat grape vines, several species of Cissus, Ludwigia, Magnolia, and Parthenocissus, so they can harm vines and garden plants. Adults are found from Argentina up through Central America and the southern United States, including Arizona, Texas, Mississippi, and Florida.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Eumorpha vitis, called the vine sphinx, belongs to the hawk-moth family Sphingidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 85 to 105 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adults sip nectar from various flowers such as Vinca rosea. Caterpillars feed on grape vines, several Cissus species, Ludwigia, Magnolia virginiana, and Parthenocissus.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adult flight periods match those described for Florida, northern parts of the range, and the tropics.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to a range that includes Argentina, Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico, and parts of the southern United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 10 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Arizona, Florida, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Kansas, New Mexico, Georgia.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do vine sphinx caterpillars eat?
They feed on grape vines, Cissus, Ludwigia, Magnolia virginiana, and Parthenocissus species.
Source: Wikipedia
When are adult vine sphinx moths active?
In Florida they are on wing in spring and again in late summer through fall; farther north they appear in midsummer, and in the tropics they can be seen all year.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the vine sphinx moth found?
It ranges from Argentina through Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico, and into the southern United States such as Arizona, Texas, Mississippi, and Florida.
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/Eumorpha_vitis
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.