Deidamia inscriptum

Deidamia inscriptum
	Deidamia inscripta
Systematics
Class :	Insects (Insecta)
Order :	Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family :	Swarmers (Sphingidae)
Subfamily :	Macroglossinae
Genre :	Deidamia
Type :	Deidamia inscriptum
Scientific name of the genus
	Deidamia
	Clemens , 1859
Scientific name of the species
	Deidamia inscriptum
	( Harris , 1839)

Deidamia inscriptum caterpillar

Deidamia inscriptum is the only butterfly species of the genus Deidamia from the family of hawkers (Sphingidae).

features

Characteristics of the moth

The brownish colored moths have a fore wing length of 22 to 25 millimeters, which makes them one of the smallest swarmers in North America. This and the strongly serrated outer edge of the fore wing make it easy to determine the species. Your drawing is hardly variable.

Deidamia inscriptum ♂
Deidamia inscriptum ♂ △
Deidamia inscriptum ♀
Deidamia inscriptum ♀ △

Characteristics of the caterpillars

In the last stage, the caterpillars are relatively variable in color. They have a light lime-green to gray-green base color and have seven or eight pairs of vertical stripes. A pale yellow subdorsal stripe extends from the head to the anal horn . This strip is either a fine line or a wide band that merges with other strips.

Characteristics of the dolls

The doll varies from light brown marbled with dark brown spots to solid dark brown. Its surface is slightly rough and it has three distinct knots on its head. The trunk sheath is fused with the body. The cremaster is short, very rough, and ends in a single, sharp point.

Occurrence

The species is common in eastern North America. It occurs on the Atlantic coast from New England to north Florida as well as west to the southern half of the states bordering the Great Lakes, in the southeast of North Dakota to the edge of the Great Plains . In Nebraska, they can be found west to Chadron . In Canada it occurs in the extreme south of Québec , and in Ontario on the Niagara Peninsula , north to Pinhey Forest .

Way of life

The adults are among the first swarmers to appear in spring. They fly in one generation, in the north from late April to early June, in the south from late February to April. The animals are busy flower visitors in the evening, although they can only be found in a few nectar plants such as rhododendrons ( rhododendron ), flame flowers ( phlox ) and common lilac ( Syringa vulgaris ).

Food plants of the caterpillars

The caterpillars feed mainly on grapevine family (Vitaceae) such as grapevines ( Vitis ), Ampelopsis , self-climbing virgin vine ( Parthenocissus quinquefolia ) and common virgin vine ( Parthenocissus vitacea ). In the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains , they can often be found on Sauerbaum ( Oxydendrum arboreum ) from the heather family (Ericaceae).

development

The females lay their pale green eggs one by one on the undersides of the host plants. The caterpillars bend their heads back and vomit fluid when disturbed. Pupation takes place in a shallow cave in the ground.

supporting documents

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g James P. Tuttle: The Hawkmoths of North America, A Natural History Study of the Sphingidae of the United States and Canada. The Wedge Entomological Research Foundation, Washington, DC 2007, ISBN 978-0-9796633-0-7 .

literature

James P. Tuttle: The Hawkmoths of North America, A Natural History Study of the Sphingidae of the United States and Canada. The Wedge Entomological Research Foundation, Washington, DC 2007, ISBN 978-0-9796633-0-7 .

Web links

Commons : Deidamia inscriptum - collection of images, videos and audio files

[Tuttle-1] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g James P. Tuttle: The Hawkmoths of North America, A Natural History Study of the Sphingidae of the United States and Canada. The Wedge Entomological Research Foundation, Washington, DC 2007, ISBN 978-0-9796633-0-7 .