''Nyceryx magna'' 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.

Distribution

It is known from

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

and

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...

Description

It can be distinguished from other ''

Nyceryx ''Nyceryx'' is a genus of moths in the family Sphingidae. The genus was erected by Jean Baptiste Boisduval in 1875. Species *'' Nyceryx alophus'' (Boisduval, 1875) *'' Nyceryx brevis'' Becker, 2001 *'' Nyceryx coffaeae'' ( Walker, 1856) *'' Nyc ...

'' species by the dark forewing upperside and the brownish-orange basal area and pale purple bands in the tornal angle of the hindwing upperside. Nyceryx magna MHNT CUT 2010 0 198 Rio Solimões São Paulo de Olivença Amazonas Brazil female dorsal.jpg, Female dorsal Nyceryx magna MHNT CUT 2010 0 198 Rio Solimões São Paulo de Olivença Amazonas Brazil female ventral.jpg, Female ventral

Biology

Adults are on wing year round. The larvae feed on '' Pentagonia donnell-smithii''. Early instar larvae have very large heads and elongated tails. The head has a distinctive blue-green colour in the final instar and the tail is shorter and rough. The pupa is smooth and shiny with alternating light and dark bands on the abdomen.

References

Nyceryx Moths described in 1874 Taxa named by Rudolf Felder Sphingidae of South America Moths of Central America Fauna of Costa Rica Lepidoptera of Brazil Lepidoptera of Ecuador {{Dilophonotini-stub