Adults are bumblebee mimics and make a buzzing sound when feeding. Wing margins are scalloped. Forewing upperside is dark brown with light brown bands and markings. Hindwing upperside is yellow with a wide black outer margin.
Caterpillars feed at night, and during the day rest hidden on the bark of their host plants.
Fully-grown caterpillars pupate and overwinter in shallow underground cells. Northern Florida, Mississippi, and Texas north to Nebraska. G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery. Distribution and phenologies of Louisiana Sphingidae. Covell Jr., C. V. 1984.