Protambulyx carteri
| Protambulyx carteri | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Protambulyx carteri ; preparation |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Protambulyx carteri | ||||||||||||
| Rothschild & Jordan , 1903 |
Protambulyx carteri is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of moth (Sphingidae).
features
The moths have a fore wing length of 95 to 110 millimeters. Their forewings, indented on the inner edge, are colored yellow to orange-brown on the upper side. They only have a pale pattern and no dark submargin line. The hind wings are colored yellow to orange on the upper side and have no pattern. Their underside is unpatterned and also has no submargin line, but a darker outer edge. Florida butterflies are a little darker and more reddish brown in color.
Occurrence and way of life
The species is distributed from tropical South America over the West Indies north to central Florida. The moths fly all year round. The caterpillars feed on the sumac family (Anacardiaceae), such as the Brazilian pepper tree ( Schinus terebinthifolia ).
Taxonomy and systematics
As early as 1903, when Rothschild & Jordan described the species Protambulyx carteri on the basis of differences to Protambulyx strigilis in the pattern of the forewings , it was unclear whether this was actually a separate species. In 1971 Hodges found that the two "species" did not differ genitally morphologically, but retained the species status for both species. Tuttle established through breeding that the two "species" are color morphs of one and the same species. This has been confirmed by the fact that light-colored, weakly patterned moths occur in the dry forests of the Guanacaste National Park in Costa Rica and dark, strongly patterned moths ("strigilis") originate from the higher-lying moist forests. In his opinion, it is therefore a matter of color differences caused by external influences in the living space. Since Protambulyx strigilis has priority because of the earlier description, Protambulyx carteri was synonymous with this species by Tuttle. In 2008, however, Heppner restored the taxon to the rank of an independent species.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Carter's sphinx Protambulyx carteri Rothschild & Jordan, 1903. Butterflies and Moths of North America, accessed January 2, 2019 .
- ↑ Bernard d'Abrera: Sphingidae Mundi - Hawkmoths of the world . EW Classey Ltd., Faringdon 1986, ISBN 0-86096-022-6 , pp. 49 (English).
- ↑ 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 .
- ↑ Protambulyx carteri Rothschild & Jordan, 1903. Sphingidae Taxonomic Inventory, accessed January 2, 2019 .