''Amorpha juglandis'', the walnut sphinx, is the only species in the
monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...
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 ...
genus ''Amorpha'', which is in 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 ...
, erected by
Jacob Hübner
Jacob Hübner (20 June 1761 – 13 September 1826, in Augsburg) was a German entomologist. He was the author of ''Sammlung Europäischer Schmetterlinge'' (1796–1805), a founding work of entomology.
Scientific career
Hübner was the author of '' ...
in 1809. The species was
first described by
James Edward Smith in 1797.
Distribution
It is native to North America, where it is distributed from the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
to the
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in great-circle distance, straight-line distance from the northernmost part of Western Can ...
in Canada and the United States.
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 45–75 mm.
Amorpha juglandis MHNT CUT 2010 0 266 Edgard, St. John Par. Louisiana USA female dorsal.jpg, Female
Amorpha juglandis MHNT CUT 2010 0 266 Edgard, St. John Par. Louisiana female ventral.jpg, Female underside
Amorpha juglandis MHNT CUT 2010 0 266 Sank City Sank Co Wisconsin male dorsal.jpg, Male
Amorpha juglandis MHNT CUT 2010 0 266 Sank City Sank Co Wisconsin male ventral.jpg, Male underside
Biology
The adult moth is
nocturnal
Nocturnality is a ethology, behavior in some non-human animals characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnality, diurnal meaning the opposite.
Nocturnal creatur ...
, active mainly during the early hours of the night.
The
caterpillar
Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths).
As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder ...
feeds on
alder
Alders are trees of the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus includes about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few species ex ...
(''Alnus''),
hickory
Hickory is a common name for trees composing the genus ''Carya'', which includes 19 species accepted by ''Plants of the World Online''.
Seven species are native to southeast Asia in China, Indochina, and northeastern India (Assam), and twelve ...
(''Carya''),
hazel
Hazels are plants of the genus ''Corylus'' of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family, Betulaceae,Germplasmgobills Information Network''Corylus''Rushforth, K ...
nut (''Corylus''),
beech
Beech (genus ''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to subtropical (accessory forest element) and temperate (as dominant element of Mesophyte, mesophytic forests) Eurasia and North America. There are 14 accepted ...
(''Fagus''),
walnut
A walnut is the edible seed of any tree of the genus '' Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, '' Juglans regia''. They are accessory fruit because the outer covering of the fruit is technically an i ...
(''Juglans''), and
hop-hornbeam (''Ostrya'') species. When attacked by a bird, the caterpillar produces a high-pitched whistle by expelling air from pairs of
spiracles in its abdomen. This
antipredator adaptation
Anti-predator adaptations are mechanisms developed through evolution that assist Predation, prey organisms in their constant struggle against predators. Throughout the animal kingdom, adaptations have evolved for every stage of this struggle, na ...
may startle the bird, which may then reject the caterpillar.
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
*
"''Amorpha juglandis'' (J. E. Smith, 1797)" ''Sphingidae of the Americas''. Archived June 29, 2006.
*
{{Taxonbar , from1=Q142115 , from2=Q2386180
Taxa named by James Edward Smith
Moths described in 1797
Moths of North America
Smerinthinae