Sphinx libocedrus
Encyclopedia
The Incense Cedar Sphinx (Sphinx libocedrus) is a member of the Sphingidae
family of moths. It ranges from the western Texas
to southern California
and Mexico
.
The wingspan
is 70-80 mm. The upperside of the forewing is pale blue-gray to dark gray with a black dash reaching the wing tip and a white stripe along the lower outer margin. The upperside of the hindwing is black with two diffuse white bands.
There is one generation with adults on wing from July to September.
The larvae feed on New Mexican forestiera (Forestiera neomexicana), Forestiera angustifolia and Fraxinus gooddingii in the olive family (Oleaceae
).
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,...
family of moths. It ranges from the western Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
to southern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
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 70-80 mm. The upperside of the forewing is pale blue-gray to dark gray with a black dash reaching the wing tip and a white stripe along the lower outer margin. The upperside of the hindwing is black with two diffuse white bands.
There is one generation with adults on wing from July to September.
The larvae feed on New Mexican forestiera (Forestiera neomexicana), Forestiera angustifolia and Fraxinus gooddingii in the olive family (Oleaceae
Oleaceae
Oleaceae are a family containing 24 extant genera and around 600 species of mesophytic shrubs, trees and occasionally vines. As shrubs, members of this family may be twine climbers, or scramblers.-Leaves:...
).
Subspecies
- Sphinx libocedrus libocedrus (from Texas west through New Mexico and Arizona to southern California and further south to Sonora and Baja California Sur)
- Sphinx libocedrus achotla Mooser, 1944 (Mexico)
External links
- Incense Cedar Sphinx Moths of America