Interesting Facts
Common Names
Common Names in English:
Spurious Sphinx
Description
Family Sphingidae
'The Sphingidae belong to the Superfamily
Sphingoidea. Members
of this family
are commonly called "hummingbird," "sphinx," or "hawk" moths, and some can be mistaken for hummingbirds. Most are medium to large moths, with heavy bodies; wingspread reaches
5 inches or more in some species. The Sphingidae are strong
and fast fliers, with a rapid wingbeat. Most species in the group are active
at dusk, and most feed
much like hummingbirds, hovering in front of a flower and sipping nectar through the extended proboscis. The proboscis rolls up when not in use. Some species lack scales
on large portions of their wings
, resulting in transparent or clear wings. In most species, the larval stage
is called a "hornworm" because the caterpillar''s posterior end has a harmless hook or hornlike appendage
protruding upward. Unfortunately, the caterpillar of some species can be very destructive to agricultural crops
and ornamental
plantings
.
'[1]
Physical Description
Species Cautethia spuria
Forewing upperside is pale silvery gray with black markings; in some moths the wing base may be very dark. Hindwing upperside is deep yellow with a black border that covers more than half the wing. (ref. 106286)
Color:
Forewing upperside is pale silvery gray with black markings; in some moths the wing base may be very dark. Hindwing upperside is deep yellow with a black border that covers more than half the wing.
Size/Age/Growth
Wing span : 1 3/8 - 1 3/4 inches (3.5 - 4.5 cm).
Biology
Diet
Adult food: Flower nectar. (ref. 106286)
Behavior
Flight: . Several flights throughout the year in South Texas.
Taxonomy
- Domain:
Eukaryota
(
)
- Whittaker & Margulis,1978
- eukaryotes
- Kingdom:
Animalia
()
- C. Linnaeus, 1758
- animals
- Subkingdom:
Bilateria
()
- (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983
- Branch:
Protostomia
()
- Grobben, 1908
- Infrakingdom:
Ecdysozoa
()
- A.M.A. Aguinaldo et al., 1997 ex T. Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Superphylum:
Panarthropoda
()
- Cuvier
- Phylum:
Arthropoda
()
- Latreille, 1829
- Arthropods
- Subphylum:
Mandibulata
()
- Snodgrass, 1938
- Infraphylum:
Atelocerata
()
- Heymons, 1901
- Superclass:
Panhexapoda
()
- Epiclass:
Hexapoda
()
- Class:
Insecta
()
- C. Linnaeus, 1758
- Insects
- Subclass:
Dicondylia
()
- Infraclass:
Pterygota
()
- Cohort:
Myoglossata
()
- Superorder:
Amphiesmenoptera
()
- Order:
Lepidoptera
()
- Linnaeus, 1758
- Butterflies and Moths
- Suborder:
Glossata
()
- Infraorder:
Heteroneura
()
- Superfamily:
Sphingoidea
()
- Family:
Sphingidae
()
- Samouelle, 1819
- Sphinx Moths
- Subfamily:
Macroglossinae
()
- Subfamily:
Macroglossinae
(
- Family:
Sphingidae
(
- Superfamily:
Sphingoidea
(
- Infraorder:
Heteroneura
(
- Suborder:
Glossata
(
- Order:
Lepidoptera
(
- Superorder:
Amphiesmenoptera
(
- Cohort:
Myoglossata
(
- Infraclass:
Pterygota
(
- Subclass:
Dicondylia
(
- Class:
Insecta
(
- Epiclass:
Hexapoda
(
- Superclass:
Panhexapoda
(
- Infraphylum:
Atelocerata
(
- Subphylum:
Mandibulata
(
- Phylum:
Arthropoda
(
- Superphylum:
Panarthropoda
(
- Infrakingdom:
Ecdysozoa
(
- Branch:
Protostomia
(
- Subkingdom:
Bilateria
(
- Kingdom:
Animalia
(
Notes
Name Status: Accepted Name .
Similar Species
Members of the genus Cautethia
ZipcodeZoo has pages for 2 species and subspecies in this genus:
C. grotei (Grote's Sphinx) · C. spuria (Spurious Sphinx)
More Info
- Search for Pictures: images.google.com
- Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
- Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
- Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books
Further Reading
- A revision of the lepidopterous family Sphingidae. By the Hon. Walter Rothschild. .. and Karl Jordan. .. (With 67 plates). Issued at the Zoological Museum, Tring, March 1903. London, Printed by Hazell, Watson & Viney, Ld., 1903. url p. 413, p. 869.
- Bulletin / Illinois Natural History Survey. Urbana, State of Illinois, Dept. of Registration and Education, Natural History Survey Division, 1918-1985. url p. 158.
- Journal of Hymenoptera research. 10 Washington, D.C.: International Society of Hymenopterists, [1992- url p. 186, p. 190, p. 203, p. 220.
Notes
Contributors
- Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed January 31, 2012.
Data Sources
Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 28, 2008:
- Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad (Costa Rica): Biodiversidad de Costa Rica
- UNIBIO, IBUNAM: CNIN/Lepidoptera
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2605505
- Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: Lep-54814.0
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 1716467
Footnotes
- http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/taxonomy?f=30&sci=Sphingidae&com=Sphinx Moths, Hawkmoths [back]
