Beautiful moth -- need ID

Tue May 2 03:33:06 EDT 2000

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lizc8913 at my-deja.com wrote:

> Hi, I am happy to have found your group on the Internet.
>
> My mother recently found a beautiful moth on the floor of her garage in
> Central Texas. We know nothing about moths and butterflies, but she
> would very much like to know what kind of insect it is.
>
> I have done my best to scan in this moth and have posted a picture of it
> at this URL:
>
> http://www.wedey.hispeed.com/moth2.jpg

Having read Doug's reply and looked again at the Moths of North America
illustrations (thanks, Doug, for setting me straight on this) for Eumorpha
vitis at

http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/moths/usa/1056.htm

and for E fasciata at

http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/moths/usa/1050.htm

I can say with some confidence that what you have found is the Vine Sphinx,
Eumorpha vitis.  The stripes on the upperside of the forewing are much wider
in Eumorpha fasciata than in E vitis.  also, your phot clearly shows a white
strope across the rear of the thorax (maybe the forward edge of the
abdomen?) which does not show in the illustration of  Eumorpha fasciata.

There are people who will argue until the day they die that identification
on the basis of a picture is not possible, but I say wait and maybe the
picture will be sufficient.  Of course, I was right -- this time -- because
it wasn't a case of needing to do a DNA test ir genitalic dissection to
identify the animal.  Sometimes it is, but not this trime.

Patience pays off handsomely.  Sometimes it takes its time, but not always.

Pierre A Plauzoles
sphinxangelorum at bigfoot.com

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lizc8913 at my-deja.com wrote:
<blockquote TYPE=CITE>Hi, I am happy to have found your group on the Internet.
My mother recently found a beautiful moth on the floor of her garage
in
 Central Texas. We know nothing about moths and butterflies, but she
 would very much like to know what kind of insect it is.
I have done my best to scan in this moth and have posted a picture of
it
 at this URL:
<a href="http://www.wedey.hispeed.com/moth2.jpg">http://www.wedey.hispeed.com/moth2.jpg</a></blockquote>
Having read Doug's reply and looked again at the Moths of North America
illustrations (thanks, Doug, for setting me straight on this) for Eumorpha
vitis at
<A HREF="http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/moths/usa/1056.htm">http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/moths/usa/1056.htm</A>
and for E fasciata at
<A HREF="http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/moths/usa/1050.htm">http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/moths/usa/1050.htm</A>
I can say with some confidence that what you have found is the Vine
Sphinx, Eumorpha vitis.&nbsp; The stripes on the upperside of the
forewing are much wider in Eumorpha fasciata than in E vitis.&nbsp;
also, your phot clearly shows a white strope across the rear of the thorax
(maybe the forward edge of the abdomen?) which does not show in the illustration
of&nbsp; Eumorpha fasciata.
There are people who will argue until the day they die that identification
on the basis of a picture is not possible, but I say wait and maybe the
picture will be sufficient.&nbsp; Of course, I was right -- this time --
because it wasn't a case of needing to do a DNA test ir genitalic dissection
to identify the animal.&nbsp; Sometimes it is, but not this trime.
Patience pays off handsomely.&nbsp; Sometimes it takes its time, but
not always.
Pierre A Plauzoles
 sphinxangelorum at bigfoot.com
 &nbsp;</html>

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