''Aellopos titan'', the Titan sphinx, is a
moth of the family
Sphingidae. The species was first described by
Pieter Cramer in 1777.
Distribution
It has been found all the way from
Maine in the United States through
Central America and south to
Argentina and
Uruguay in South America.
Description
The
wingspan is 55–65 mm. The body is dark brown with a wide white stripe across the abdomen. The wings are dark brown and the upperside of the forewing has a black spot at the end of the cell and two bands of translucent white spots. The upperside of the hindwing has pale patches along the costa and inner margin.
Biology
Adults are on wing year round in the tropics. In the northern part of the range, adults are on wing in one generation with adults on wing from June to October. Adults feed on nectar of various flowers, including phlox, lantana and stoppers.
The larvae feed on ''
Casasia clusiifolia
''Casasia clusiifolia'', also called the sevenyear apple, is a species of plant belonging to the family Rubiaceae. It is common in Florida.
References
Casasia, clusiifolia
{{ixoroideae-stub ...
'', ''
Cephalanthus occidentalis'', ''
Randia mitis'', ''
Randia monantha
''Randia'' can refer to :
* ''Randia'' (bird), a monotypic genus of bird containing a single species, ''Randia pseudozosterops'', also known as Rand's warbler
* ''Randia'' (plant), a genus of plants of the family Rubiaceae
* r/India, a subreddi ...
'', ''
Randia aculeata
''Randia aculeata'', commonly known as white indigoberry or white indigo berry, is a species in the Rubiaceae. It is a shrub or small tree that grows from 2 to 6 m tall. ''R. aculeata'' is native to Florida, Bermuda, the Bahamas, elsewhere a ...
'', ''
Albizzia adinocephala'' and ''
Randia grandifolia''. 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.
Subspecies
*''Aellopos titan titan'' - Brazil
*''Aellopos titan cubana''
(Clark, 1936) - Cuba
References
External links
*
Aellopos
Moths described in 1777
Moths of North America
Moths of South America
Taxa named by Pieter Cramer
{{Dilophonotini-stub