''Xylophanes cyrene'' 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 Herbert Druce in 1881. It is found in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...

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 ...

Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

and south to

Oxapampa Oxapampa is the capital of Oxapampa District and Oxapampa Province in Peru in the eastern part of the Pasco Region. . Oxapampa belongs to the natural region known as Selva Alta or high jungle. northward down the valley of the Huancabamba River ...

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

Description

The

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingspan of ...

is 76–91 mm. It is similar to ''

Xylophanes amadis ''Xylophanes amadis'' is large moth of the Family Sphingidae. Distribution It is found in Suriname, and westward through Guyana, Venezuela and Bolivia. Description The wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is t ...

'' but the upperside ground colour is brownish and the pale median band is always uninterrupted by black streaks along the veins. Xylophanes cyrene MHNT CUT 2010 0 49 Costa Rica male dorsal.jpg, Male dorsal view Xylophanes cyrene MHNT CUT 2010 0 49 Costa Rica male ventral.jpg, Male ventral view Xylophanes cyrene MHNT CUT 2010 0 49 Costa Rica female dorsal.jpg, Female dorsal view Xylophanes cyrene MHNT CUT 2010 0 49 Costa Rica female ventral.jpg, Female ventral view

Biology

Adults are probably on wing year round in Costa Rica. The larvae feed on ''

Curatella americana ''Curatella americana'', commonly known as the wild cashew tree, sambaı́ba, and the sandpaper tree, is a species of tree in the family Dilleniaceae. It is the sole accepted species in genus ''Curatella''. Description ''Curatella americana'' is ...

'', ''

Psychotria panamensis ''Psychotria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It contains 1,582 species and is therefore one of the largest genera of flowering plants. The genus has a pantropical distribution and members of the genus are small understor ...

'' and ''

Psychotria grandis ''Psychotria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It contains 1,582 species and is therefore one of the largest genera of flowering plants. The genus has a pantropical distribution and members of the genus are small underst ...

''. Early

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 are generally green, but there are green and dark colour morphs in the final instar.

References

cyrene Moths described in 1881 Taxa named by Herbert Druce Sphingidae of South America Moths of Central America Lepidoptera of Mexico {{Xylophanes-stub