Xylophanes loelia
Encyclopedia
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
.
The wingspan
is about 72 mm. It is intermediate between Xylophanes libya
and Xylophanes neoptolemus
. The hindwing are narrower than in Xylophanes libya and the first postmedian line of the forewing underside is thin, continuous, more oblique and not as dark. The second and third postmedian lines are faintly indicated and the fourth postmedian line is not as conspicuous. The median band on the hindwing upperside is redder (but paler than in Xylophanes neoptolemus) and the marginal band is more even, narrow and sharply defined. The postmedian lines of the hindwing underside are straighter and not divided into spots. The inner edge of the marginal band is more even and continuous.
Adults are probably on wing year round. In Argentina adults have been reported in November.
The larvae possibly feed on Psychotria horizontalis, Psychotria nervosa
and Psychotria microdon.
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 south-western 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....
and 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...
to Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, 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 Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. It is possibly also present in 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 about 72 mm. It is intermediate between Xylophanes libya
Xylophanes libya
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....
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 hindwing are narrower than in Xylophanes libya and the first postmedian line of the forewing underside is thin, continuous, more oblique and not as dark. The second and third postmedian lines are faintly indicated and the fourth postmedian line is not as conspicuous. The median band on the hindwing upperside is redder (but paler than in Xylophanes neoptolemus) and the marginal band is more even, narrow and sharply defined. The postmedian lines of the hindwing underside are straighter and not divided into spots. The inner edge of the marginal band is more even and continuous.
Adults are probably on wing year round. In Argentina adults have been reported in November.
The larvae possibly 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.