Sphinx perelegans
Preparation of Sphinx perelegans
Sphinx perelegans is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of moth ( Sphingidae ).
- 3.1 Flight times and caterpillars
- 3.2 food of the caterpillars
- 5.1 Notes and references
- 5.2 Literature
Features
Butterfly
The moths have a forewing length of 40-49 millimeters. The species can be most likely confused with Sphinx vashti despite the close relationship with Sphinx Asellus. Sphinx perelegans is larger and the medial area on the fore wings is colored rather darker. You also lack the well-educated black line in Submarginalbereich, which is characteristic of the similar style. The proportion of white coloration in the cost Alber calibration of the forewing is variable.
Egg
The eggs are glossy apple green and have 2.0 times 1.8 millimeters in size a slightly oval shape. After oviposition its color is paler.
Caterpillar
The caterpillars are 70 to 75 millimeters long. Initially, the pale yellow caterpillars are about five millimeters long and have a long, dark Analhorn. It is basal rot and has a distinct double peak. The head is relatively large. By seizing the animals are increasingly pale green. After the first molt whitish stripes are visible on the sides and the body is covered with fine, pale tubercles. The round head has only a little yellow on the cheeks. The Analhorn is basal rot, then black or reddish- black and pale beneath the tip. At this stage, the caterpillars look very similar to the fruits of Gaultheria shallon.
In the third stage, a purple shimmer is formed on each abdominal leg, the calf a Torah, the mandibles and ocelli. The Analhorn may lose its Black shares and be colored only red. In the second and third stages occur in two color variants of the caterpillars. A bluish gray-green, the other pale apple green, both of which are whitish on the back. The body of animals from head to Analhorn evenly thick. In the fourth stage of the purple shimmer is more apparent on the head and legs. The head is now oval and otherwise pale green in color than the body. The yellow stripes on the cheeks are now very clear. The straight, long basal Analhorn is bright, in the lower third reddish, and otherwise off-white, but has a black, only slightly split double peak. The sloping verges are pale cream color and not very noticeable.
In the final stage, the caterpillars are grayish or apple green, the back is slightly paler. No tubercles are now trained. The sloping verges are white, but the rear yellowish in apple green form. The stripes are edged with purple towards the back, just as a colored spot is located basally in each abdominal leg. The rearmost side stripe extends to the Analhorn, which is now colored blue. The Torah calf A and the head are yellowish - ocher color, often with a slightly violet hue. The face is brown, the cheeks wearing a purple brown band behind the now faint yellow stripes on the cheeks. The spiracles are pale orange, the Nachschieber is edged in yellow.
The caterpillars are less noticeable than the similar colored caterpillars of Sphinx Asellus. Unlike this kind Sphinx perelegans the stigmata, the abdominal legs and the Analhorn are not colored purple. The caterpillars, as well as the similar style, two shiny black spots behind the head, which are normally obscured by slipped over the thorax at rest or during eating. If you disturb the caterpillar, she directs her front body with the typical enthusiast pose on, shows the black spots in the direction of the interferer and writhes violently.
Doll
The doll is 45 to 47 millimeters long, reddish brown and has a smooth surface. Your short proboscis sheath is free, but is pressed on the body, as well as in Lintneria eremitoides. The very short, blunt and smooth cremaster is dark brown and ends in a double peak.
Occurrence
The species is restricted to the western United States and is found in California, Oregon and Washington. While there is evidence also from Colorado and the West Texas, but it is likely that this is misreporting and the type essentially found only on the west coast of the United States and ends and the eastern to the west of the Great Basin.
Sphinx perelegans populated forest areas of medium altitudes in the mountains.
Way of life
The moths fly from dusk till well after midnight. They are very active and react very quickly to disturbances. The species can be locally common and is heavily at night attracted by light sources. One can observe aurantiacus the kind when visiting flowers of evening primrose (Oenothera ), rhododendrons (Rhododendron ), Clarkia breweri and Diplacus.
Flight times and caterpillars
The moths seem to fly in one generation depending on the distribution area from late April to early August, with the maximum in June and July. In California a second, incomplete generation is partially formed flying in August / September.
Food of the caterpillars
The caterpillars are detected menziesii at Cercocarpus betuloides, Prunus ilicifolia, Arctostaphylos glauca Arctostaphylos patula Arctostaphylos manzanita as well and Arbutus. In breeding also Gaultheria is assumed shallon.
Development
The females lay up to 200 eggs on the underside of leaves of the caterpillar food plants. They are usually single, occasionally two or three put together. The young caterpillars rest on the midrib of the leaves. Older caterpillars are sitting on the petioles or branches clamped to the rear part of the body and eat by as usual for enthusiasts to move around the front part of the body. They often rest on or withdrawn and hidden among the leaves under a branch something. Pupation takes place several inches deep in the ground. Dolls have been repeatedly documented in the burrows of ground squirrels, with three to 10 pupae were found per hole. The dolls were not eaten by the squirrels. Even in Southern California over are up to 50 % of the dolls until next year and may even have a diapause over two or more winter lodge.