The White-lined Sphinx Moth ranges over the entire United States and is very common here in Los Angeles. California is one of the few states where the moth can be found flying year round. With that said, they are usually only seen in numbers during the late spring and early fall. But the past six months proved different as they have been continually out in high numbers and ending up in our light traps every night.
What makes this even more interesting is that we are having a cold, wet winter – not the best conditions for a large moth to operate in. Additionally, in the GNG White-lined Sphinx Moth larvae primary use primrose for their host plant and we did not find many larvae over the past year.
It’s mysteries like these that makes observing nature so interesting…
White-lined Sphinx Moth - Hyles lineata
We always let go moths caught in the UV Light traps.