Paonias excaecata “Blinded Sphinx” Sphingidae
Lewis and Clark Trail State Park, WA
June 9, 2015
Robert Niese
These relatively large sphinx moths are quite common throughout the PNW. Their unusual, scalloped forewings are definitely beautiful, but their most striking feature is certainly their hindwings which possess startlingly prominent eyespots. Sorry I couldn’t get a photo of them for you though. Check out this unhappy individual here instead. Look for them around light sources near riparian, mixed-hardwood forests this summer!
Be sure to participate in National Moth Week July 18-26! To find events near you, check out their webpage! This year, we’re focusing on the Sphingids like this guy here!
Northwest Naturalist 