Sphinx leucophaeata
Sphinx leucophaeata is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of moth ( Sphingidae ). The species is widespread in North and Central America from Mexico to Panama.
Features
The moths have a forewing length from 62 to 75 millimeters. Due to their size and whitish-gray forewings, which are provided with a few black lines, the style is unmistakable. The species shows little variability.
The relatively large caterpillars have a strong green color and wear on the sides seven very broad, oblique, dark brown stripes, which lead to an equally colored longitudinal binding on the back. The first three pairs of strips are shorter and reach only about half of the segments, the remaining strips reach the abdominal legs. The stripes are edged with white on both sides along the entire length. The dorsal edge is very thin, the ventral is slightly wider. Also the Nachschieber and adjacent partially the penultimate segment is dark brown. There are fine white secondary bristles at the base of each side brown strip. The spiracles are orange. The head is the same color as the body, on both sides of the face but are dark brown napkins and also the segment lines on the face are so colored. The collar behind the head is bright yellow. The Analhorn is curved on the one hand to the rear, but describes a back -looking forward curve. It is almost all black and white hairy. The caterpillars are unmistakable.
The equally large doll is maroon and has a smooth surface. The proboscis sheath is very long and describes a wide arc away from the body. It ends in a thickened tip. Behind the seventh abdominal segment, the segments are greatly reduced. Due to the resulting increase in the doll appears pushed together there. This feature is unique within the genus Sphinx. The very broad cremaster is rough and ends in a sharp double peak.
Occurrence
Sphinx leucophaeata is widespread in North and Central America from Mexico to Panama and advocates in the United States appear only as an occasional Irrgast. The species is known only from there undocumented type locality in Texas and from the Hidalgo County ( Texas). The type locality is in all probability in the Rio Grande Valley in the southernmost part of Texas.
Way of life
The habit of the species is largely unknown. The caterpillars were detected at Forestiera neomexicana. They pupate in a chamber deep in the ground.