Lettered sphinx
Deidamia inscriptum
The lettered sphinx is a sturdy moth from the hawkmoth family. Hawkmoths are strong, fast fliers with pointy wings. This one is so special that it is the only species in its whole genus.
Lives in
Eastern North America, from Florida and Mississippi up to Ontario and Quebec
Wingspan
4.5 to 7 cm (1.8 to 2.8 in)
Can it hurt you?
Harmless
Harmless. It cannot bite or sting people, so you can watch it up close.
What does it eat?
Its caterpillars eat the leaves of grapevines, Virginia creeper and their relatives.
How big is it?
How wide are its wings?
🧱wings as wide as 2 toy building bricks⚽could fly across a whole football pitch in 9 seconds
How big is Lettered sphinx compared to YOU?
Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
How fast is it?
A kid running fast about 13 km/h (8.1 mph)
A grown-up on a bike about 25 km/h (16 mph)
Lettered sphinx about 42 km/h (26 mph)
A car driving in town about 50 km/h (31 mph)
cool stuff
Fun facts
1
It is the only member of the genus Deidamia, so it has no close sister species.
2
Its wings measure about 4.5 to 7 centimetres from tip to tip.
3
Its caterpillars love the leaves of wild and garden grapevines.
4
It was first described by the scientist Thaddeus William Harris in 1839.
you asked
Most asked questions about Lettered sphinx
?What does the lettered sphinx caterpillar eat?
Leaves of grapevines, Virginia creeper and pepper vines.
?How big is a lettered sphinx?
Its wingspan is about 45 to 70 millimetres.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Deidamia inscriptum
- Named by
- Harris, 1839
- Group
- Moths
- Family
- Sphingidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Lepidoptera > Sphingidae
- Lives on
- North America
Where the facts come from
- Deidamia inscriptum (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.
If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
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