Abbott's sphinx
Abbott's sphinx is a moth with violet grey front wings covered in swirly black lines, like tree bark. Its back wings have a bright yellow band. When it flies, it buzzes and looks a lot like a bee.
How fast is it?
Fun facts
When it rests on a tree, it lifts up its tail end and looks just like a broken twig.
Its big caterpillar can grow to about 7.5 centimetres long.
Some caterpillars have pale green spots that may make them look like a bunch of grapes.
Near its back end the caterpillar has a spot that looks like a real eye. If poked, it squeaks and tries to bite.
Most asked questions about Abbott's sphinx
?Is Abbott's sphinx a bee?
No. It is a moth that buzzes and looks like a bee when it flies, which helps keep hungry birds away.
?What do Abbott's sphinx caterpillars eat?
They eat leaves of grape vines and Virginia creeper.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Sphecodina abbottii
- Named by
- Swainson, 1821
- Group
- Moths
- Family
- Sphingidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Lepidoptera > Sphingidae
- Lives on
- North America
Where the facts come from
- Sphecodina abbottii (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren. CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.
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