Xylophanes macasensis
Encyclopedia
Xylophanes macasensis is a moth
of the Sphingidae
family. It is found from Ecuador
south into Bolivia
.
The wingspan
is about 80 mm for both males and females. It is similar to Xylophanes ockendeni
, but larger and with many pattern differences. Furthermore, the small black spots on the dorsum of the abdomen are somewhat larger. The underside of the abdomen is brown or brownish-white. The forewing upperside is also similar to Xylophanes ockendeni but the ground colour is bright green, on which the darker markings stand out conspicuously. The postmedian line is dark green, more conspicuous, straighter and sharply defined and the area around the discal spot is darker, rendering the spot less conspicuous. The submarginal line of the vein spots is connected by a series of darker green lunate markings, forming a wavy line.
Adults are probably on wing year round. Adults have been reported in December.
The larvae probably feed on Rubiaceae
and Malvaceae
species.
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 Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
south into 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...
.
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 about 80 mm for both males and females. It is similar to Xylophanes ockendeni
Xylophanes ockendeni
Xylophanes ockendeni is a moth of the Sphingidae family. It is known from Peru.The length of the forewings is 35-36 mm. It is similar to Xylophanes rothschildi, but distinguishable by the slightly scalloped outer margin of the forewing, the more well-defined dark basal patch on the forewing...
, but larger and with many pattern differences. Furthermore, the small black spots on the dorsum of the abdomen are somewhat larger. The underside of the abdomen is brown or brownish-white. The forewing upperside is also similar to Xylophanes ockendeni but the ground colour is bright green, on which the darker markings stand out conspicuously. The postmedian line is dark green, more conspicuous, straighter and sharply defined and the area around the discal spot is darker, rendering the spot less conspicuous. The submarginal line of the vein spots is connected by a series of darker green lunate markings, forming a wavy line.
Adults are probably on wing year round. Adults have been reported in December.
The larvae probably feed on Rubiaceae
Rubiaceae
The Rubiaceae is a family of flowering plants, variously called the coffee family, madder family, or bedstraw family. The group contains many commonly known plants, including the economically important coffee , quinine , and gambier , and the horticulturally valuable madder , west indian jasmine ,...
and Malvaceae
Malvaceae
Malvaceae, or the mallow family, is a family of flowering plants containing over 200 genera with close to 2,300 species. Judd & al. Well known members of this family include okra, jute and cacao...
species.