Hydrangea sphinx moth
Darapsa versicolor
Moth
Native sphinx moth whose larvae feed on Hydrangea arborescens and other native hydrangea species. The smooth-hydrangea-as-host-plant relationship is the wedge-relevant fact about hydrangea that the standard "blue versus pink mophead" landscape framing misses entirely.
Plants in the catalog
Larval host plants · 1
The plant is the named host of the hydrangea sphinx moth (Darapsa versicolor); the smooth-hydrangea-as-host-plant relationship is the wedge-relevant fact the standard 'blue versus pink mophead' landscape framing misses entirely.
Range
Eastern North America wherever the host hydrangea grows.
Sources & citations
Cite this page
Use this citation for the Plotwright wildlife record. Use the source cards below to explore the references that informed its taxonomy, range, conservation, host plants, foraging, and habitat.
Plotwright. (n.d.). Hydrangea sphinx moth (Darapsa versicolor). Retrieved 2026, August 20, from https://plotwright.com/wildlife/hydrangea-sphinx-moth
Sources used for this record
This record is compiled from the sources below.
BAMONA: Hydrangea sphinx
Species profile for range, flight season, and Hydrangea larval-host relationship.
Wikipedia: Darapsa versicolor
Corroborating reference for sphinx-moth identity and native hydrangea host use.
GBIF: Darapsa versicolor
GBIF backbone key 1863075 is an exact accepted match for the hydrangea sphinx Darapsa versicolor in family Sphingidae.
iNaturalist: Darapsa versicolor
iNaturalist taxon 143585 is the active species record for Darapsa versicolor, the hydrangea sphinx.