''Xylophanes thyelia'' is a
moth of the family
Sphingidae. The species was first described by
Carl Linnaeus in his 1758
10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''.
Distribution
It is found from
Mexico through
Central America to
Venezuela,
Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
,
Ecuador and
Peru and further south into
Bolivia
, image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg
, flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center
, flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...
,
Paraguay and
Argentina.
Description
The
wingspan is 53–54 mm. It is similar to the ''
Xylophanes ceratomioides
''Xylophanes ceratomioides'' is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It is known from Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Bolivia, Argentina and Venezuela, down into southern Brazil. Rare vagrants have been found up to southern Arizona.
De ...
'' species group, but much smaller. There is a dark longitudinal line on the head, which is bordered ventrally with buff above the antenna. The tegula has a dark brown median line, bordered on each side by a pale grey stripe and irrorated with pale purple. The abdomen has a brown midline bordered by narrow grey lines. The forewing upperside is dark brown and buff. There is a short dark line present basal to the first postmedian line, reaching as far as the discal spot. The forewing underside has three dark brown or black and parallel postmedian lines. The hindwing upperside is almost uniform grey brown and the median band is barely indicated.
Xylophanes Thyelia MHNT CUT 2010 0 149 French Guiana Piste de Kaw PK37 female dorsal.jpg, Female, dorsal view
Xylophanes Thyelia MHNT CUT 2010 0 149 French Guiana Piste de Kaw PK37 female ventral.jpg, Female, ventral view
Biology
Adults are on wing year round.
Subspecies
*''Xylophanes thyelia thyelia'' (Mexico through Central America to Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru and further south into Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina)
*''Xylophanes thyelia salvini''
(Druce, 1878) (Mexico, Guatemala and Belize)
References
thyelia
Moths described in 1758
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
Sphingidae of South America
Moths of South America
{{Xylophanes-stub