Sphinx chisoya
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Sphinx chisoya |
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| ( Schaus , 1932) |
Sphinx chisoya is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of moth (Sphingidae). The species is closely related to Sphinx libocedrus , but its exact taxonomic position is still largely unclear. Sphinx chisoya is so far only known from Texas .
features
The moths have a fore wing length of 29 to 34 millimeters. The top of the forewings is dark gray to bluish gray and has narrow black lines. The dark submarginal band is wavy and flanked by a light gray line. The top of the hind wings is dark gray and has two indistinct, light gray bands. Very few animals have been caught so far, so the variability of the species is unknown. The holotype illustration of the species and the first description suggest that the specimen had a purple sheen.
The caterpillars have sloping, white side stripes that are bordered purple towards the back. Since only a few specimens have been found so far, an exact differentiation from the similar caterpillars of Sphinx libocedrus with regard to possible variability is not possible.
Occurrence
The species is so far only known from Texas. A report of the species from Arizona can be traced back to a confusion with Sphinx libocedrus . The species has only been recorded three times in Brownsville , twice in Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park in Hidalgo County, and once near Falcon State Park in Starr County since the 1960s .
Way of life
The caterpillars are likely to feed on Fraxinus berlandieriana and Forestiera angustifolia from the olive family (Oleaceae).
supporting documents
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f 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 .
- ↑ Sphingidae of the Americas. Bill Oehlke, accessed December 30, 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 .