one-eyed sphinx

One-eyed sphinx is a large, nocturnal sphinx moth. It has a wingspan of 2 7 ⁄16″ to 3 9 ⁄16″.

The outer margin of the forewing may be irregularly scalloped or almost smooth and has a blunt “tooth” at the anal angle. The upper side may be gray or tan with irregular banding. There is a broad blackish median band and a broad dark terminal band.

The upper side of the hindwing is bright rosy pink near the base fading abruptly to tan near the margin. There is a large black eyespot near the inner margin with an incomplete bright blue circle in the center. There is sometimes a blue crescent at the top of the black eyespot.

The thorax has a black dorsal patch. The appendage (tegula) covering the forewing base is pale gray. The abdomen is gray with a dark dorsal stripe.

The caterpillar is up to 2⅜″ long and variable in color. It may be green, bluish-green, or yellowish-green. The head, thorax, and abdomen are moderately covered with prominent, minute, white bumps. The head is broadly triangular, flattened, and framed with a wide pale cream or yellow stripe. A long curved horn extends from the eighth abdominal segment. It may be yellow, pink, and/or blue. There is a pale cream to yellow subdorsal stripe that extends from the first thoracic segment to the seventh abdominal segment; and a bold whitish diagonal line that extends from the horn to just above the leg-like structure (proleg) on the sixth abdominal segment. Abdominal segments 1 through 6 each have a lateral, yellowish, diagonal line and a faint red circle surrounding the white respiratory opening (spiracle).

Mature caterpillars can be found from July through September.

Wingspan: 2 7 ⁄16″ to 3 9 ⁄16″

Valleys, streamsides

One brood: mid-May to early July

When perched, the wings are held elevated, slightly away from the body, and parallel to the resting surface. Males arch their abdomen upwards when at rest. Females do not.

Adults fly at night and are attracted to light.

Females attract males by releasing pheromones. After mating, she lays spherical green eggs singly or in pairs on the underside of host plant leaves. The eggs hatch in 6 to 8 days and the caterpillars begin feeding on leaves and fruit of the host plant.

Mostly poplar (Populus) and willow (Salix).

Adults do not feed.

Sources

21, 24, 27, 29, 30, 71, 75, 82, 83.

Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (accessed through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Portal, bellatlas.umn.edu, 8/14/2025).

Common

One-eyed Sphinx Moth
Andree Reno Sanborn

One-eyed Sphinx - Hodges#7822 (Smerinthus cerisyi)
Andree Reno Sanborn

The One-Eyed Sphinx
OmegaMolecule

Cerisy's Sphinx Moth
wetvideocamera

Karen Girard
5/23/2016

Location: Big Lake (Sherburne County)

Location: Pennington Co.