Cautethia noctuiformis
Encyclopedia
Cautethia noctuiformis is a species of moth
in the family Sphingidae
, which is known from the Caribbean
. It was described by Walker in 1856.
The wingspan
is 28-40 mm. Adults nectar at flowers.
The larvae feed on Chiococca alba
in Puerto Rico and Exostema
species in Cuba.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
in the family Sphingidae
Sphingidae
Sphingidae is a family of moths , commonly known as hawk moths, sphinx moths and hornworms, that includes about 1,200 species . It is best represented in the tropics but there are species in every region . They are moderate to large in size and are distinguished among moths for their rapid,...
, which is known from the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. It was described by Walker in 1856.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 28-40 mm. Adults nectar at flowers.
The larvae feed on Chiococca alba
Chiococca alba
Chiococca alba is a species of flowering plant in the coffee family, Rubiaceae, that is native to Florida and the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas in the United States, Bermuda, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and tropical South America. Common names include David's Milkberry, West Indian...
in Puerto Rico and Exostema
Exostema
Exostema is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It consists of trees and shrubs, endemic to the neotropics, with most of the species occurring in the West Indies. Estimates of the number of species range from 25 to 44....
species in Cuba.
Subspecies
- Cautethia noctuiformis noctuiformis (Barbuda, Antigua, Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto-Rico, St. Thomas, St. Martin, St. Bartholomew and the Lesser Antilles)
- Cautethia noctuiformis bredini Cary, 1970 (Antigua, Barbuda and the British Virgin Islands)
- Cautethia noctuiformis choveti Haxaire, 2002 (Guadeloupe)