''Eumorpha anchemolus'', the anchemola sphinx moth, is a

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 ...

of 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 ...

. The species was first described by

Pieter Cramer Pieter Cramer (21 May 1721 (baptized) – 28 September 1776) was a wealthy Netherlands, Dutch merchant in linen and Spanish wool, remembered as an entomologist. Cramer was the director of the Zealand Society, a scientific society located in Flushin ...

in 1780.

Distribution

It is found from

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

through

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 ...

and into the US state of

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

Description

The

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the opposite wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingsp ...

is 110-135 mm. It is a large species. It is similar to '' Eumorpha triangulum'', but the forewing upperside pattern is less contrasting and variegated. There is a conspicuous white fringe on the forewing upperside, found along the posterior margin from near the base to beyond the median rhombiform patch. Eumorpha anchemolus MHNT CUT 2010 0 223 Santa Barbara Yungas Bolivia female dorsal.jpg, Female, dorsal view Eumorpha anchemolus MHNT CUT 2010 0 223 Santa Barbara Yungas Bolivia female ventral.jpg, Female, ventral view Eumorpha anchemolus MHNT CUT 2010 0 223 La Palma, Cundinamarca male dorsal.jpg, Male, dorsal view Eumorpha anchemolus MHNT CUT 2010 0 223 La Palma, Cundinamarca male ventral.jpg, Male, ventral view

Biology

Adults are on wing year round, except the coldest months. They nectar at various flowers. The

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e feed on '' Cissus alata'', '' Cissus pseudosicyoides'', '' Cissus erosa'', ''

Vitis ''Vitis'' (grapevine) is a genus of 81 accepted species of vining plants in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The genus consists of species predominantly from the Northern Hemisphere. It is economically important as the source of grapes, bot ...

'' and '' Ampelopsis'' species.

References

External links

* Eumorpha Moths described in 1780 Taxa named by Pieter Cramer Sphingidae of South America Moths of Central America Moths of North America {{Philampelini-stub