Elisabeth, when I first started my quest for sphingidae and its various tribes, I knew NOTHING! I found out about the Tomato Hornworm and Tobacco Hornworm from TomatoWorm, who has posted here recently. I raised both for a couple of years, growing tomatoes just for them, and then I planted a Datura, which works well for both, too. I discovered that the vine that covered a portion of my fence and the neighbors, was Virginia Creeper. So what, I thought, just another vine that is pretty in springtime and ratty looking by the time summer ends. I really didn't know much about it. One day I was cleaning up around the vine and found a large caterpillar on it. Came to find out it was a Eumorpha achemon. From then on I was hooked. I had most of the larval host plants I have found cats on already in the yard. I live in an older district in OKC, with many mature trees, and lots of "bird planted" shrubs, vines, and trees, too. I began looking at research on the sphinx moths found in Oklahoma, and realized I could raise a number of them. I have used, used, and used Bill Oehlke's website to find out the sphinx moths that populate Oklahoma and their hosts. I started checking out many of the trees and vines in the yard, such as Honeysuckle, Elm, Virginia Creeper (who knew it hosted so many species?), Pecan, Trumpet Vine, Ipomoea, which reseeded annually. From there, I just started checking out the plants, looking for evidence of caterpillars, e.g., frass, chewed leaves, etc. Some of the cats I've found have been purely by accident. TomatoWorm also taught me what the Snowberry Clearwing cats looked like, and how to successfully raise many of the sphinx. "Hornworm" is kind of a general term to describe sphinx cats, but there are a number of species that lose the horn in later instars, and have a "button-like" spot on the rear in place of the horn. The Eumorphas, for example, and the little Erinnyis obscura, which has a very reduced horn in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th instars of growth. I can't tell you how it's done, other than to just search the known plants available in your location and you WILL eventually find them. I find late spring, May to June, and late summer, August to early September, to be the best times in my garden to find them. Many of my finds have been purely accidental. For instance, I had no clue that the Erinnyis obscura larvae fed on Cynanchum laeve. I had a heck of a time finding good photos of the larvae, finally hooking up to Dan Jantzen's website for photos. The Elm Sphinx, or Four-Horned Sphinx, I found while walking under some Elm trees. It was just barely hanging on to a limb, and it was huge! Really cool looking cat. Still on my list is Hyles lineata, or White-lined Sphinx. It is the most common one found in Oklahoma, and yet I have not been able to either find or attract one to the garden! Go figure! So check out your trees, shrubs, vines, and other things that are native (especially). I think you guys get many more species that we do in Oklahoma. There are a lot of Northern ones. I'll attach a link to Bill's site for Ohio sphinx. Susan Here is a link that might be useful: Ohio Sphinx

Utmost of compliments on the fabulous photography skills! Can I assume those photos by you both are not taken on a simple point & shoot camera phone??? I'd love to hear yes for the camera phone, then maybe I can try to take a few. I appreciate the tip on the four o clocks. I have an empty spot and may look for seed next trip into the big city. Or would I be too late for it to have growth for the moth to lay it's eggs on? I do have tomatoes (yipes) that I won't appreciate being the host plant, but if I have somewhere to transfer the children to.......And I've got a spare fuschia I'm willing to sacrifice. SCG: is this the 1st year that you're growing 4 o'clocks as a host plant or have you had success with the cats using them in the past? And is that pink flower with white trim a petunia bloom or a four o'clock bloom? Thanks!

Big Boy is in the same category as pinkeyes. Bigger pea than the pinkeye/purple hull and a little longer season. Most folks who like pinkeyes ( there are several cultivars with slightly different texture and flavor) will like Big Boys. Folks whose taste run to the stronger flavored brown crowder types usually don't. Pinkeye yields are comparable to Big Boys, both kick out a lot of peas. Big Boy Quick Pick (one of the Pink Eye/Purple Hull cultivars

Interesting - thanks for that. So LA is an affected area - I will check the CA forum, but I don't remember seeing a post on this. I can already tell from the male and female moth pics that I will have trouble ID'ing the LBAM on the fly. I'm also worried that I could send eggs by mail on seeds I've collected, although my city isn't listed as affected yet. I think APHIS has an impossible job on their hands and the politics around free trade exacerbate it tremendously. I dealt with them once a decade ago when Russia wanted to export spruce/pine/fir two-by-fours to the US and to get past bark beetle restrictions, the Russians were going to use spent nuclear fuel rods from their subs to irradiate each stud! APHIS was so hamstrung my the Commerce Dept, that it wasn't until a federal judge ruled that the dept. could offer sane restrictions. Whatever one thinks of free trade, the free movement of pests and pathogens in a natural consequence.