Locality data for Northeastern US hawk moths (Sphingidae), 1900-2012

Study Area: Our study area in the northeastern U.S. included the six New England states (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut) plus nearby New York (Long Island and the counties bordering the Hudson River) and northern New Jersey.

Species: We focused on the 26 species of hawk moths that breed in the study area and feed as adults and therefore are presumed to pollinate plants.

Methods: We compiled information on species, date collected, locality, county, and collector for our focal species from specimens held at most northeastern U.S. natural history collections known to have significant holdings of hawk moths. We also canvassed the community of academic and private hawk moth collectors to obtain additional records. The Acknowledgments provides a full list of the nine museum and 14 private collections utilized. Due to a preponderance of incomplete data on labels of specimens collected prior to 1900 and incomplete processing and databasing of more recent collections, we restricted the sample to include records from 1900 through 2012.

Museums consulted: American Museum of Natural History, Cornell University, New York State Museum, Smithsonian, University of Connecticut, University of Maine, University of New Hampshire, University of Vermont, and Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History.

Private collections consulted: Sam Adams, Joe Garris, Robert Godefroi, Scott Griggs, Warren Kiel, Tony McBride, Tim McCabe, Mark Mello, Michael Sabourin, Ted Sargent, Eric Quinter, Steve Walter, Ben Williams, and Brandon Woo.