Xylophanes libya
Encyclopedia
The Libya Sphinx is a moth
of the Sphingidae
family. It is known from southern Texas
, Mexico
, Belize
, Guatemala
, Panama
and from Venezuela
south and west to Bolivia
and Paraguay
.
The wingspan
is 68-74 mm. The first postmedian line on theforewing upperside is double and the fourth postmedian line is heavier than the others, which are equally developed. Most individuals have a black dot in discal cell and a black subapical costal spot. The forewing underside is more heavily marked black and brown than Xylophanes loelia
and Xylophanes neoptolemus
. The ground colour is uniform beyond the brown basal patch. The first postmedian line arising from the brown basal patch area is interrupted at the veins. The fourth postmedian line consists of a row of vein spots. There is a conspicuous black subapical spot present. The hindwing upperside is dark brown or black. The median band is pale orange-pink, parallel sided along most of its length. The hindwing underside is more heavily marked black and brown than Xylophanes loelia and Xylophanes neoptolemus and has two postmedian lines, the inner more marked and formed by a series of spots.
Adults are probably on wing year round in part of the range. In southern Texas, adults are on wing in October and in Bolivia in April.
The larvae feed on Psychotria horizontalis, Psychotria nervosa
and Psychotria microdon. They are dark with yellow eyes with large dark black centers. The last two instars have a large blue dot in the eyes. There is a black pupil in the center of each eye, a patterned iris, and a faint yellow eye ring. The tail has the form of a straight spike needle in the last dark brown instar.
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 known from southern 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...
, 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...
, 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...
, Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
and from Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
south and west to Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
and Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
.
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 68-74 mm. The first postmedian line on theforewing upperside is double and the fourth postmedian line is heavier than the others, which are equally developed. Most individuals have a black dot in discal cell and a black subapical costal spot. The forewing underside is more heavily marked black and brown than Xylophanes loelia
Xylophanes loelia
Xylophanes loelia is a moth of the Sphingidae family. It is found from south-western Belize to Costa Rica and Panama to Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. It is possibly also present in Paraguay....
and Xylophanes neoptolemus
Xylophanes neoptolemus
Xylophanes neoptolemus is a moth of the Sphingidae family. It is found from Trinidad and Surinam to Venezuela and north-western Brazil. It is probably present in much of South America....
. The ground colour is uniform beyond the brown basal patch. The first postmedian line arising from the brown basal patch area is interrupted at the veins. The fourth postmedian line consists of a row of vein spots. There is a conspicuous black subapical spot present. The hindwing upperside is dark brown or black. The median band is pale orange-pink, parallel sided along most of its length. The hindwing underside is more heavily marked black and brown than Xylophanes loelia and Xylophanes neoptolemus and has two postmedian lines, the inner more marked and formed by a series of spots.
Adults are probably on wing year round in part of the range. In southern Texas, adults are on wing in October and in Bolivia in April.
The larvae feed on Psychotria horizontalis, 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...
and Psychotria microdon. They are dark with yellow eyes with large dark black centers. The last two instars have a large blue dot in the eyes. There is a black pupil in the center of each eye, a patterned iris, and a faint yellow eye ring. The tail has the form of a straight spike needle in the last dark brown instar.