Welcome to the Hostplant Index! This is a database containing records of hostplants eaten by Sphingidae larvae.
To use this index, search for any level of taxonomy under subfamily for Sphingidae, or for family/genus/species for hostplant. The source that the record came from is indicated by a number at the end, use the table to the right to figure out what they are.
This is not a complete database. In fact, it's still growing. If you would like to submit records, please contact us using this form.
Current number of hostplant records: 1220
We update this database monthly.
Last update: 12/06/2018
1: Personal Observations made by authors Teá Kesting-Handly and Stephen Kloiber
2: Tuttle, James P., and Margaret A. Rutledge. The Hawk Moths of North America: a Natural History Study of the Sphingidae of the United States and Canada. Wedge Entomological Research Foundation, 2007.
3: Wagner, David L. Caterpillars of Eastern North America: a Guide to Identification and Natural History. Princeton University Press, 2005.
4: BugGuide: https://bugguide.net/node/view/15740
5: Bill Ohelke, “Sphingidae of the Americas”: http://www.silkmoths.bizland.com/Sphinx/usatable.htm
6: Lotts, Kelly and Thomas Naberhaus, coordinators. 2017. Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA). http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/
7: Robinson, G. S., P. R. Ackery, I. J. Kitching, G. W. Beccaloni & L. M. Hernández, 2010. HOSTS - A Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants. Natural History Museum, London. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/hosts.
8: Schmidt, B. Christian (2018). Cryptic species among bumblebee mimics: an unrecognized Hemaris hawkmoth (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) in eastern North America; Zootaxa 4399 (1): 032–048, 2018; Cite: 1502107
9: Schmidt, B. Christian (2009). Hemaris thetis (Boisduval, 1855) (Sphingidae) is a Distinct Species. Journal of the Lepidopterists Society 63(2), 2009, 100-109.
10: Hodges, Ronald W. The Moths of America North of Mexico. Including Greenland. Sphingoidea (Fascicle 21). E.W. Classey Limited and R.B.D. Publications Inc., 1971.
11: Sam Jaffe (The Caterpillar Lab) Observations, 2009; Massachusetts Lepidoptera “MassLep”, Google Group. https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/masslep/nZXX1J94Hxs/VrvqZYSPWHgJ
12: Rare, Declining, and Poorly Known Butterflies and Moths of Forests and Woodlands in the Eastern United States By Dale F. Schweitzer, Marc C. Minno, David L. Wagner. U.S. Forest Service, Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team, FHTET-2011-01. , 2011. Cite: 613824
13: Brou Jr., Vernon A. 2011. Second Addendum to the Sphingidae of Louisiana. Southern Lepidopterists’ Society News. 33: 140-144
14: Jean Haxaire, personal communications
15: Kitching, I.J. 2018. Sphingidae Taxonomic Inventory, http://sphingidae.myspecies.info/