Manduca florestan
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Manduca florestan (preparation) |
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| ( Stoll , 1782) |
Manduca florestan is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of moth (Sphingidae). The distribution of the species extends from southeast Arizona and southwest New Mexico in the United States to the south over large parts of the northern Neotropics to southern Brazil.
features
The moths have a fore wing length of 54 to 62 millimeters. Manduca florestan is very little variable. The upper side of the forewings is gray to yellowish-gray or brown. It is provided with whitish spots and black patterns. Two black wipes lead from the cell to the outer edge of the wing. A reddish-brown spot, which is characteristic of the species, borders the cell and the wipes. The hind wings are dark brown on the upper side and have a white band leading to the anal angle, which includes a fine brown line.
The moths look very similar to Manduca jasminearum , but they lack the strong, dark, horizontal wipes on the forewings. The species only overlap in their distribution in a few areas, so it is easy to differentiate between them. Another similar species is Manduca lichenea , which is not always easy to distinguish. However, this species has less pronounced black streaks that are difficult to distinguish from the base color. Ceratomia sonorensis is significantly smaller than Manduca florestan and also has numerous black lines on the forewings.
Preparation ♀
Preparation ♀ △
The caterpillars appear in two color variants. The most common has a light blue-green basic color and seven pairs of white, sloping side stripes that are bordered in light green towards the back. The body is raised white dots. The rarer form has a yellowish-green basic color with yellow side stripes, which are bordered in dark green towards the back, and yellow points. The anal horn is heavily covered with punctiform warts in both color variants.
The doll is dull mahogany brown and has a slightly rough surface. The very short, exposed proboscis sheath has a thickened tip. The medium-length Kremaster is wide and has four strong thorns at its tip.
Occurrence
The distribution of the species extends from southeast Arizona and southwest New Mexico in the United States to the south over large parts of the northern Neotropics to southern Brazil. Evidence from other parts of the USA, for example from Texas and Florida, is doubtful.
In North America, Manduca Florestan inhabits canyons in mountain regions with rock faces and gravel banks made of limestone, which are covered with Garrya wrightii .
Way of life
The moths hatch in the early evening and are already active the first night. The slip is tied to the summer rains. They are strongly attracted by light sources, where they approach in large numbers. They suck nectar from flowers, for example from Agave parryi , Datura meteloides or Plumeria rubra .
Flight and caterpillar times
In the United States, the species flies in one generation from late June to early September, with the maximum in late July / early August. In Costa Rica it flies all year round, from Bolivia it is recorded in March and from October to December.
Food of the caterpillars
The caterpillars feed on Catalpa plants (Bignoniaceae), such as Tecoma types, and verbena plants (Verbenaceae), such as Citharexylum species. They have been found on Garrya wrightii in the United States and are believed to also eat Garrya flavescens .
development
The females lay their eggs individually on the top and bottom of the leaves of the host plants. Pupation takes place in a chamber in the ground. The pupa presumably moves with jerky movements to the surface before hatching.
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 c d e Sphingidae of the Americas. Bill Oehlke, accessed December 28, 2011 .
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 .
