Smerinthus cerisyi, the one-eyed sphinx or Cerisy's sphinx, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by William Kirby who named the species in honor of Alexandre Louis Lefèbvre de Cérisy in 1837.

One-eyed sphinx
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Sphingidae
Genus: Smerinthus
Species:
S. cerisyi
Binomial name
Smerinthus cerisyi
Kirby, 1837[1]
Synonyms
  • Smerinthus vancouverensis Butler, 1876
  • Smerinthus cerisyi borealis Clark, 1929
  • Smerinthus cerisyi nigrescens Clark, 1919
  • Smerinthus cerisyi pallidulus (Edwards, 1875)

Distribution edit

It is known from south-eastern Alaska, the southern parts of all Canadian provinces and in the northern border states of the United States south into northern Indiana, Pennsylvania and Ohio and along the west coast to southern California, eastward to the Rocky Mountains and into western New Mexico north to western North Dakota. It has also been recorded from Illinois and as far south as Missouri.[2]

Description edit

The wingspan is about 95 mm. The species is found mostly in summer.

The larvae feed on willow (Salix) and poplar (Populus).


Taxonomy edit

Smerinthus ophthalmica, formerly listed as a synonym of Smerinthus cerisyi, is thought to be a valid species. In 2018, Smerinthus astarte was described as a separate species which was also formerly a synonym. It mostly replaces Smerinthus cerisyi in the west coast of the US.[3]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "CATE Creating a Taxonomic eScience - Sphingidae". Cate-sphingidae.org. Retrieved 2011-11-01.
  2. ^ "Smerinthus cerisyi Kirby, 1837 One-eyed Sphinx or Cerisy's Sphinx". Sphingidae of the Americas. Archived from the original on 2015-04-19. Retrieved 2011-11-01.
  3. ^ "Moth Photographers Group – Smerinthus astarte – 7822.2". mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu. Retrieved 22 January 2022.

External links edit