Sphinx kalmiae
Sphinx kalmiae
Sphinx kalmiae is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of moth ( Sphingidae ). The species was named after one of their caterpillar food plants, Kalmia latifolia. Sphinx kalmiae colonized large parts of eastern North America.
- 3.1 Flight times and caterpillars
- 3.2 food of the caterpillars
- 5.1 Notes and references
- 5.2 Literature
Features
The moths have a forewing length of 42-48 millimeters. The forewings are mainly light brown. Do not have the thin black lines, the Sphinx occur in many species of the genus. The inner edge is dark brown, almost black margins and the white Submarginallinie is black margins. These features make the kind unmistakable. In the far north of its range moths occur with much darker forewing coloration with more gray proportions. In general, the dark scales on the forewing tip is variable.
The caterpillars have as many species of the genus Sphinx seven pairs of oblique shoulder. These are by Sphinx kalmiae bright yellow and edged towards the back, shiny black. The fleshy part of the abdominal legs is also black. The Analhorn is covered with black and blue bumps. These features are characteristic of each for the easy-to -determining Art
Doll
The pupa is reddish brown and has a smooth surface. The proboscis sheath is free and is applied to the body. The short cremaster is very rough and ends in a double peak.
Occurrence
Sphinx kalmiae colonized large parts of eastern North America. The species is detected in the U.S. in all states east of the Great Plains. The type locality lies remarkably like the Sphinx drupiferarum in Georgia, where these two species but only very rarely. In the south the species is detected up to the Torreya State Park in Northwest Florida, where it generally occurs only locally in the south. Further north is the way of the Ohio River Valley and the Appalachians into the upper Midwest and New England frequently. In Canada Sphinx comes kalmiae in Newfoundland, before in the Maritimes and southern Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba. There is a proof of the kind in the extreme southeast Saskatchewan.
Sphinx kalmiae inhabited exclusively deciduous forests. Wherever the forests are managed intensively, the type is being pushed back.
Way of life
The moths are when visiting flowers of Different Colored Iris (Iris versicolor), foxgloves (Digitalis ), Saponaria officinalis, tobacco ( Nicotiana ) and Lonicera japonica detected. They fly at night to light sources and also butterfly bait.
Flight times and caterpillars
The moths fly in the north of its distribution from late May to August. It is unknown whether this is a long occurring first or even to a partial second generation. In the south, the type flies from April to September in more than a generation.
Food of the caterpillars
The caterpillars feed on a wide variety of plant species, prefer local but certain species. Most commonly they are found on ash trees (Fraxinus ) such as black ash ( Fraxinus nigra), White Ash ( Fraxinus americana ) and red ash ( Fraxinus pennsylvanica ), rarely on other olive family ( Oleaceae ) as vulgar lilac (Syringa vulgaris) privet ( Ligustrum ) Chionanthus virginicus and. But they are also found in birch (Betula ) and at Kalmia latifolia from the kind of laurel roses ( Kalmia ).
Development
The females lay their eggs singly, yet you often find several caterpillars on the same food plant. Pupation takes place in a chamber in the soil.