Fawn Sphinx
Sphinx kalmiae (J.E.Smith, 1797), fam. Sphingidae, P-no. 890118
Host plants: Specializes in woody members of the olive family (Oleaceae), such as ash (Fraxinus spp.), and fringe-tree (Chionanthus virginicus).
Date found(s): August 16, 2026
Location(s) found: Loggers Lake Recreation Area, Shannon County, MO
Notes: The species epithet, kalmiae, is a misnomer that, unfortunately, has created a misunderstanding about the natural history of this species that continues to this day. Because of the name kalmiae, early entomologists assumed the moth’s main host was mountin-laurel (Kalmia), which are not even true laurels. In reality, field data has shown that the caterpillars heavily favor plants in the olive family (Oleaceae). The kalmiae name was given to honor Pehr (Peter) Kalm, an 18th-century Swedish botanist and apostle of Carl Linnaeus, and not in reference to laurels. The name Fawn Sphinx has been suggested and is now becoming more widely accepted.
A Thousand Acres of Silphiums 