''Cautethia yucatana'' is a species of

moth Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (s ...

in the family

Sphingidae The Sphingidae are a family of moths commonly called sphinx moths, also colloquially known as hawk moths, with many of their caterpillars known as hornworms. It includes about 1,450 species. It is best represented in the tropics, but species ar ...

, which is known from

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

and

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

south to

Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...

. It was described by

Benjamin Preston Clark Benjamin Preston Clark (October 8, 1860, in West Roxbury – January 11, 1939, in Philadelphia) was an American entomologist who specialized in Lepidoptera, especially Sphingidae. He also operated a mercantile business and patented a new form o ...

in 1919. Female moths in this species have a wingspan of 16 millimetres. It is very similar to '' Cautethia spuria'' but smaller, and the forewings are shorter and more rounded. The forewing upperside ground color is smoky gray. The tornus has a dark bar, narrowing and continuing obscurely to the midpoint of the costal margin. The basal area of the hindwing upperside is pale yellow. There is a black marginal band extending almost to the discal cell.

References

External links

''Cautethia yucatana''
Sphingidae of the Americas Cautethia Moths described in 1919 Taxa named by Benjamin Preston Clark Moths of North America Moths of Central America {{Dilophonotini-stub