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| White Lined Sphinx Moth |
Out for an early evening walk in Grover Beach, my daughter and I spotted this White Lined Sphinx moth catching the last rays of sun. These large insects often fly at dusk, drinking the nectar of flowers. They have the ability to hover like a hummingbird and are about the same size. When they are still caterpillars they may be a pest in the garden because their diet includes tomatoes, grapes, apples and other desirable crops . When the caterpillars pupate, they burrow underground and undergo a complete metamorphosis, emerging as a lovely moth. At this mature stage they are a beneficial part of the ecosystem by pollinating flowers. Their diverse diet includes the nectar from the same plants they feed on as caterpillars, and the Sphinx moth becomes an asset in propagation. In California, they are a main pollinator of the rare Lemon Lily.
