Lintneria separatus
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Lintneria separatus (preparation) |
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| ( Neumoegen , 1885) |
Lintneria separatus is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of moth (Sphingidae). The species was placedin the genus Lintneria Butler, 1876by Tuttle (2007) with a number of other species of the genus Sphinx .
features
The moths have a fore wing length of 47 to 55 millimeters. The top of the forewings is dark gray with black and light gray wavy lines. The upper side of the hind wings is black with a brown-gray border and two white bands. The species is often confused with Lintneria istar . It does, however, have a pair of small orange spots on the collar of the thorax , which lie directly behind the antennae-bases and which are absent of the similar species. The moths are not variable.
The caterpillars are among the most conspicuous within the swarmers. Initially, they are light green and have a grainy body surface. On the sides they have seven oblique, yellowish-white side stripes and are lightly covered with very small black dots. Like the closely related species, the caterpillars initially have a fleshy protuberance on the second thoracic segment, which is replaced by a hump in the last stage. In the last stage, the caterpillars from Colorado have a cream-white basic color, each with a dark red longitudinal stripe on the sides and a black pattern below the stigmas . In contrast, the caterpillars from the Chiricahua Mountains in Arizona have a velvety black base color. The spiracles are flanked by several iridescent orange spots and the rest of the body is covered with equally colored spots. As with the related species, there is a black spot on the back of the hump on the thorax, which, however, is outlined in an iridescent orange.
The doll is maroon and has a smooth surface. The exposed proboscis sheath is very long and curves so wide that a gap of more than ten millimeters is created at the widest point. The entire arch is about 25 millimeters long, which is about 85% of the length of the wings. This is even longer than with the tobacco hawk ( Manduca sexta ) and Manduca quinquemaculatus . The rather short Kremaster is broad at the base and quickly tapers to a sharp point.
Occurrence
The species is spread a little further north than Lintneria istar and occurs in addition to the hills and mountains of Arizona, New Mexico and western Texas along the eastern Rocky Mountains to northern Colorado. In the south one finds the species as far as Hidalgo and Veracruz in Mexico.
Like the similar species Lintneria, the animals colonize rocky slopes. They are found at altitudes of around 1000 to 2600 meters.
Way of life
It is unknown whether and what kind of food the species consumes. The moths rarely fly to light sources, but this may also be due to the fact that only a few look for them in suitable habitats.
Flight and caterpillar times
The moths fly very safely in one generation in July and August during summer rains.
Food of the caterpillars
The caterpillars have so far only been found on Salvia lemmonii , however, due to the distribution of the species, it can be assumed that other types of sage are also eaten.
development
The females lay their eggs individually on both sides of the leaves of the host plants. The eggs are very often attacked by parasitoids . The caterpillars live in captivity as solitary animals. They are diurnal and eat openly on the plants. It is not yet known whether Salvia lemmonii contains toxic compounds. However, since there are similar species that contain terpenoids , it stands to reason that the caterpillars can isolate them from the plants to protect themselves from predators. Otherwise the combination of unprotected feeding behavior and a conspicuous appearance could not be explained.
supporting documents
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i 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 .
- ↑ a b Sphingidae of the Americas. Bill Oehlke - World's Largest Saturniidae Site ( Memento from September 19, 2012 in the Internet Archive ).
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 .
