Xylophanes juanita
Encyclopedia
Xylophanes juanita is a moth
of the Sphingidae
family. It is found from Mexico
and Belize
to Costa Rica
.
The wingspan
is 57-59 mm. The dorsal scales of the antennae are blackish brown and pinkish latero-basally. The abdomen has two rows of dorsal dots. The lateral border of the tegulae are not well marked, anteriorly pinkish and continued to the base of the antennae. The forewing upperside has traces of one or two antemedian lines and four transverse postmedian lines are present. The first and second are distinctly undulate, while the third and fourth are faint, although the fourth is accentuated by dots on the veins and followed by a patch. The apical oblique line is indistinct. The hindwing upperside is darker brown than the forewing, becoming paler posteriorly. The fringe is white and minutely interrupted at the veins.
Adults are probably on wing year round.
The larvae possibly feed on Psychotria horizontalis, Psychotria correae, Psychotria microdon and Psychotria nervosa
. The false eye of the larvae is divided into two parts and this is very distinctive of this species. There are several colour morphs. In one morph, the last instar has yellow eyes and a blue or green body.
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...
of the 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,...
family. It is found from 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...
and Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
to Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
.
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 57-59 mm. The dorsal scales of the antennae are blackish brown and pinkish latero-basally. The abdomen has two rows of dorsal dots. The lateral border of the tegulae are not well marked, anteriorly pinkish and continued to the base of the antennae. The forewing upperside has traces of one or two antemedian lines and four transverse postmedian lines are present. The first and second are distinctly undulate, while the third and fourth are faint, although the fourth is accentuated by dots on the veins and followed by a patch. The apical oblique line is indistinct. The hindwing upperside is darker brown than the forewing, becoming paler posteriorly. The fringe is white and minutely interrupted at the veins.
Adults are probably on wing year round.
The larvae possibly feed on Psychotria horizontalis, Psychotria correae, Psychotria microdon and Psychotria nervosa
Psychotria nervosa
Psychotria nervosa, also known as wild coffee, is a shade tolerant medium-sized shrub native to Florida as well as Central and South America. It produces "small, red, ellipsoid fruit" that resemble "the true coffee bean" in shape and attract birds...
. The false eye of the larvae is divided into two parts and this is very distinctive of this species. There are several colour morphs. In one morph, the last instar has yellow eyes and a blue or green body.