''Proserpinus lucidus'', the Pacific green sphinx or bear sphinx,
is a
moth
Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...
of the family
Sphingidae first described by
Jean Baptiste Boisduval
Jean Baptiste Alphonse Déchauffour de Boisduval (24 June 1799 – 30 December 1879) was a French lepidopterist, botanist, and physician.
He was one of the most celebrated lepidopterists of France, and was the co-founder of the Société entomol ...
in 1852.
Distribution
It lives on the
Pacific coast of the United States in
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
,
Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...
,
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
and
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
.
Description
The green forewings are 22–23 mm long,
with pink/purple transverse bands outlined in yellow.
Biology
Adults fly in one generation in winter, from December to April, during which they do not eat.
They are attracted to lights, but normally females will remain stationary and emit a pheromone to attract males.
The larvae feed on ''
Clarkia breweri
''Clarkia breweri'' is a species of wildflower known by the common names fairy fans and Brewer's clarkia. This rare plant is endemic to California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With ...
'' and ''
Clarkia modesta
''Clarkia modesta'' is a species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family known by the common name Waltham Creek clarkia. It is endemic to California, where it is known from the woodlands of several of the central mountain ranges, inclu ...
''
and probably ''
Clarkia purpurea
''Clarkia purpurea'' is a species of wildflower known by the common names winecup clarkia, winecup fairyfan, and purple clarkia.
This annual plant is native to western North America, including: Baja California; California; Arizona; Oregon; Was ...
'', ''
Camissonia bistorta'' and ''
Camissonia strigulosa
''Camissonia strigulosa'' is a species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family known by the common name sandysoil suncup.
The plant is native to California and Baja California, where it grows in sandy areas, such as beaches, mountain ...
''. In later
instar
An instar (, from the Latin '' īnstar'', "form", "likeness") is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each moult (''ecdysis''), until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to grow or ass ...
s they lose the horn that characterizes most sphinx moth caterpillars, and instead have a "bullseye" spot.
The caterpillars can reach 5 cm.
The caterpillars begin to pupate four to five weeks after hatching. They will pupate under leaf litter or burrow up to 16.5 cm down into the root mass of their host plants, and wait until next winter to eclose (emerge).
References
External links
*
"''Arctonotus lucidus'' Boisduval, 1852" ''Sphingidae of the Americas''. Archived June 12, 2007.
Proserpinus
Moths of North America
Insects of Mexico
Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands
Natural history of the California Coast Ranges
Moths described in 1852
Taxa named by Jean Baptiste Boisduval
{{Macroglossini-stub