The Abbot on the hill...

No, not the pub on Yonge Street frequented by some of us! This one was in my moth trap this morning - Sphecodina abbottii, or Abbot's Sphinx. Another brilliant addition to my back yard list. This smallish but chunky sphingid is on the wing from May to early June here in Southern Ontario - blink and you'll miss it. The larvae feed on Ampelopsis and grapes. Amazing what can be found in the big city...


A dorsal view of the Abbot in all his glory. It has to be the most unusual-looking sphingid that occurs in Ontario with its corpulent aspect, ragged-looking forewings and all-round lumpy appearance.


The Abbot has a very distinctive resting posture with the tufted-tipped abdomen raised high and the wings drooped to each side. This odd shape blends in very well with flaking bark. I put the moth to rest on a Cedar this morning and one could barely make it out even when you knew exactly where it was!


The Abbot is beautifully marked in a cryptic sort of way with crisp black swirling lines on a backdrop of slate and mauve. The hindwing displays a vivid yellow flash when the Abbot gets upset with you...