Aellopos fadus

Aellopos fadus, the Fadus sphinx, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Pieter Cramer in 1776.

Fadus sphinx
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Sphingidae
Genus: Aellopos
Species:
A. fadus
Binomial name
Aellopos fadus
(Cramer, 1776)[1]
Synonyms
  • Sphinx fadus Cramer, 1775
  • Macroglossa balteata Kirtland, 1851
  • Macroglossum annulosum Swainson, 1823
  • Sesia fadus flavosignata (Closs, 1916)

Distribution

It lives in Central America and the northern part of South America.

Description

The wingspan is 57–60 mm. The body is brown with a wide white band across the abdomen. The upperside of the wing is dark brown and the forewing has two bands of pale spots and lacks a black spot at the end of the cell. The hindwing has a pale patch on the costa and one on the inner margin.[2]

  • Male dorsal
  • Male ventral
  • Female dorsal
  • Female ventral

Biology

Adults are on wing year round in the tropics. They feed on nectar from various flowers, including Abelia species.

The larvae feed on various Rubiaceae species, including Genipa americana, Alibertia edulis and Randia species. There are at least two color morphs, a green and a reddish-brown form. Pupation takes place in loose cocoons in shallow underground chambers. The pupae are dark, smooth and shiny.

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References
  1. "CATE Creating a Taxonomic eScience - Sphingidae". Cate-sphingidae.org. Archived from the original on 2012-11-08. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
  2. "Aellopos fadus The Fadus Sphinx". Silkmoths. Archived from the original on 2015-04-28. Retrieved 2011-10-19.


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