Euproserpinus

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Euproserpinus
Euproserpinus phaeton

Euproserpinus phaeton

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Swarmers (Sphingidae)
Subfamily : Macroglossinae
Genre : Euproserpinus
Scientific name
Euproserpinus
Grote & Robinson, 1865

Euproserpinus is a genus of butterflies from the family of swarmers (Sphingidae). The taxonomic position of the genus is still unclear, especially because many species-specific characteristics published in the literature cannot be transferred to all individuals of a species, not even within a population. The genus is very closely related to the genus Proserpinus .

features

The small butterflies are black, gray and white in color. The genus differs from Proserpinus in the presence of pulvillus and paronychium, and the first tarsal segment of the forelegs has no spurs. Males and females do not differ in color or pattern. The antennae of the males are almost equally thick along their entire length, those of the females are thread-shaped and taper towards their tip at the last third.

Occurrence and way of life

The genus is distributed in the western United States , south to northern Mexico . The adults are diurnal. They usually sunbathe before their first flight at the start of the day to raise their body temperature. The caterpillars feed on evening primrose family (Onagraceae), but caterpillars in the last stage are occasionally also found on Asteraceae . Pupation takes place in a flat chamber in the ground.

Systematics

Three species of the genus are known worldwide:

supporting documents

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b 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 .
  2. ^ Ian J. Kitching, Jean-Marie Cadiou: Hawkmoths of the World. An Annotated and Illustrated Revisionary Checklist (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae). Cornell University Press, New York 2000, ISBN 0-8014-3734-2

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 .