Tersa Sphinx
Xylophanes tersa (Linnaeus, 1771)
Family: Sphingidae
Subfamily: Macroglossinae
Identification: Forewing upperside is pale brown with lavender-gray at the base and dark brown lengthwise lines throughout. Hindwing upperside is dark brown with a band of whitish wedge-shaped marks.
Wing Span: 2 3/8 - 3 1/8 inches (6 - 8 cm).
Life History: Adults begin feeding at sunset.
Flight: . One brood in the north from May-October, several broods in Florida and Louisiana from February-November.
Caterpillar Hosts: Smooth buttonplant (Spermacoce glabra), starclusters (Pentas species), Borreria, Catalpa, and Manettia species.
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers including honeysuckle (Lonicera).
Habitat: Not reported.
Range: Massachusetts south to south Florida; west to Nebraska, New Mexico, and southern Arizona; south through Mexico, the West Indies, and Central America to Argentina.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 49 - 72 of 926 verified sightings
Observation date: Nov 06, 2022
Submitted by: hunter58
Region: Hernando County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Nov 06, 2022
Observation date: Nov 01, 2022
Submitted by: mramsay
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Nov 01, 2022
Observation date: Oct 22, 2022
Submitted by: Swhitehead
Region: Camden County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 26, 2022
Observation date: Oct 21, 2022
Submitted by: AngstyKiwi
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Oct 21, 2022
Observation date: Oct 14, 2022
Submitted by: Werty256
Region: Chatham County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Oct 15, 2022
Observation date: Oct 13, 2022
Submitted by: enneffe
Region: Horry County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 14, 2022
Observation date: Oct 06, 2022
Submitted by: bp24kel
Region: Texas, Kimble County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 13, 2022
Observation date: Oct 10, 2022
Submitted by: Ecooli
Region: Alachua County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Oct 11, 2022
Observation date: Sep 14, 2022
Submitted by: hsmarshall
Region: Lauderdale County, Mississippi, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 06, 2022
Observation date: Oct 04, 2022
Submitted by: Bendrey
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Oct 04, 2022
Observation date: Sep 29, 2022
Submitted by: Ashlynzuess2
Region: Shelby County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 03, 2022
Observation date: Sep 14, 2022
Submitted by: Happy Tail
Region: Harris County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Sep 19, 2022
Observation date: Mar 30, 2022
Submitted by: Jamesransbottom
Region: Manatee County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 19, 2022
Observation date: Sep 10, 2022
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 17, 2022
Observation date: Jul 21, 2015
Submitted by: LLJohnson
Region: Dominican Republic
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 14, 2022
Observation date: Sep 29, 2021
Submitted by: Lisa McClendon
Region: Scott County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Sep 05, 2022
Observation date: Aug 27, 2022
Submitted by: Honeyfox
Region: Marion County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 28, 2022
Observation date: Aug 19, 2016
Submitted by: Debo Boddiford
Region: Burke County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 13, 2022
Observation date: Sep 12, 2021
Submitted by: MezzieRow
Region: Collin County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 22, 2022
Observation date: Aug 16, 2021
Submitted by: Docriebe
Region: Baldwin County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jun 29, 2022
Observation date: Jun 24, 2021
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: White County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 26, 2022
Observation date: Jun 20, 2022
Submitted by: SamAdams
Region: Hillsborough County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 21, 2022
Observation date: Jun 19, 2022
Submitted by: Vedni
Region: Lee County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 19, 2022
Observation date: Jun 13, 2022
Submitted by: JendenT
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 15, 2022
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