Pachylia ficus

Pachylia ficus, known as the fig sphinx, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It lives from the northern tip of South America in Uruguay through Central America to the southern tip of the United States straying into Arizona and Texas.[2]

Fig sphinx
Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park, Grand Cayman
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Sphingidae
Genus: Pachylia
Species:
P. ficus
Binomial name
Pachylia ficus
Synonyms
  • Sphinx ficus Linnaeus, 1758
  • Pachylia undatifascia Butler, 1876
  • Pachylia lyncea Clemens, 1859
  • Chaerocampa crameri Ménétriés, 1857
  • Pachylia ficus venezuelensis Schaufuss, 1870
  • Pachylia ficus aterrima (Bönninghausen, 1899)

Description

It has a wingspan of 4 3⁄8–5 1⁄2 inches (110–140 mm), with orange-brown wings.

  • Pachylia ficus male
    Dorsal side MHNT
  • Pachylia ficus male
    △ Ventral side MHNT
  • Pachylia ficus female
    Dorsal side MHNT
  • Pachylia ficus female
    △ Ventral side MHNT

Biology

There are several generations per year in the tropics, peninsular Florida and southern Texas. Adults have been recorded in February, September and November in Brazil and in June in Panama. The adults feed on the nectar of various flowers, including Asystasia gangetica.

The larvae have been recorded feeding on Ficus aurea, Ficus carica, Ficus microcarpa, Ficus religiosa, Ficus pumila, Ficus gamelleira, Ficus prinoides, Ficus pumila and Artocarpus integrifolia. There are several colour morphs. Pupation takes place in a cocoon spun amongst leaf litter.

References
  1. "CATE Creating a Taxonomic eScience - Sphingidae". Cate-sphingidae.org. Archived from the original on 2012-11-12. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
  2. "Silkmoths". Silkmoths.bizland.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2011-10-19.


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