Amphion floridensis

Nessus sphinx
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Sphingidae
Genus: Amphion
Species: A. floridensis
Binomial name
Amphion floridensis
Synonyms
  • Sphinx nessus Cramer, 1777

The Nessus sphinx (Amphion floridensis) is a day-flying moth of the Sphingidae family. It lives throughout the eastern United States and Canada and occasionally south into Mexico, and is one of the more commonly encountered day-flying moths in the region, easily recognized by the two bright-yellow bands across the abdomen.

Description

The wingspan is 37–55 mm.[2]

Biology

Adults are on wing April to July in one generation in the north and in two generations in the south.[3] The adults feed on the nectar of various flowers, including Syringa vulgaris, Geranium robertianum, Kolkwitzia amabilis, Philadelphus coronarius, and Phlox spp.

The larvae feed on Vitis, Ampelopsis, and Capsicum species.[4]

Taxonomy

It was first described as Sphinx nessus by Pieter Cramer in 1777. This name was invalid, because Dru Drury had already used it for another species (Theretra nessus) in 1773. A replacement name was published in Benjamin Preston Clark in 1920.

Images

References

  1. ↑ "CATE Creating a Taxonomic eScience - Sphingidae". Cate-sphingidae.org. Archived from the original on 2012-11-08. Retrieved 2011-10-26.
  2. ↑ "Silkmoths". Silkmoths.bizland.com. Retrieved 2011-10-26.
  3. ↑ "Bug Guide". Bug Guide. Retrieved 2011-10-26.
  4. ↑ "Butterflies and Moths of North America". Butterfliesandmoths.org. Retrieved 2011-10-26.


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