Answers

7 answer(s)

Reply	DiscyDave says: I think thats a Hawkmoth, possibly Pine Hawkmoth   Hyloicus pinastri  (no votes) Tags: moths.
	posted on 2010-07-12 20:03:18 | Report abuse Reply pegasus90 says: You beat me to it! Definitely a species of Hawkmoth.  (no votes) Tags: moths. posted on 2010-07-12 20:07:50 | Report abuse

Reply	Element114 says: I agree with the others that it's a Hawk Moth and suspect that it's a Privet Hawk Moth, which looks considerably better with its wings relaxed - a Google Image search of 'Privet Hawk Moth' will return several examples.  (no votes) Tags: moths.
	posted on 2010-07-12 20:26:43 | Report abuse

Reply	juljae says: Hi there! I'm a first-timer so please excuse if I don't hit the tone right :P I agree with you in that it looks like a hawk moth but I don't think it's a pine or a privet. Did you see the spikes on the ?femur? ? Neither pine nor privet hawk moth seem to have those features. Plus, I have not seen any images of either of the two speices with their antennae 'retracted' whereas the moth in our picture shows no antennae from top view at all. Check out this website for Sphinx Hawk Moths: http://tdserver1.fnal.gov/peterson/tom/Moths/Sphingidae/Sphingidae.html they have many pretty pictures I think your moth here may be a Ceratomia species, potentially a four horned sphinx... or closely related to it   I hope I spotted something there ;) a wonderful day to you all xj    (no votes) Tags: moths.
	posted on 2010-07-12 21:54:09 | Report abuse Reply Jon-Richfield says: Welcome aboard! As I know from embarrassing experience, pictures can be misleading when answering diagnostic questions. However, though I don't know the privet hawk moth, I am convinced from pictures that the participants who thought that that is it was, knew their stuff. It is easy to miss spines in such a picture, and that moth was in self-effacing resting mode, hiding as much as possible from external attention. The spines simply could be hidden. The moth was after all, not a pinned specimen, showing all it has, and from what I know of hawk moths more familiar round here, a resting hawk moth of many species lays its antennae backwards and under the fluff of its pronotum. So the privet hawk moth diagnosis convinces me for one! (Not that that proves much...)   Cheers,  Jon  (no votes) Tags: moths. posted on 2010-07-16 16:43:51 | Report abuse

Reply	ritagrocha says: Sphinx ligustri (Sphingidae), no doubt.  (no votes) Tags: moths.
	posted on 2010-07-13 17:46:54 | Report abuse

Reply	petethebloke says: I seem to remember reading somewhere that there are moths which can only be identified with certainty after their penises have been inspected under a microscope. Lord knows how the female is confirmed. In this case it looks a bit easier and I even found a picture with leg spurs for juljae, have a look at http://www.pbase.com/tarsiger/image/83706351  (1 vote) average rating:4 Tags: moths.
	posted on 2010-07-19 14:26:52 | Report abuse