''Perigonia lusca'', the half-blind sphinx or coffee sphinx, 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 The Sphingidae are a family of moths (Lepidoptera) 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, bu ...

. It was first described by

Johan Christian Fabricius Johan Christian Fabricius (7 January 1745 – 3 March 1808) was a Danish zoologist, specialising in "Insecta", which at that time included all arthropods: insects, arachnids, crustaceans and others. He was a student of Carl Linnaeus, and is cons ...

in 1777.

Distribution

It is found from the northern tip of South America, through most of Central America, and up to Florida in 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 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 55–65 mm. Perigonia lusca lusca MHNT CUT 2010 0 132 Parque Nacional Henri Pitter (Rancho Grande), Venezuela male dorsal.jpg, Male dorsal view Perigonia lusca lusca MHNT CUT 2010 0 132 Parque Nacional Henri Pitter (Rancho Grande), Venezuela male ventral.jpg, Male ventral view Perigonia lusca lusca MHNT CUT 2010 0 132 El Dorado, Venezuela female dorsal.jpg, Female dorsal view Perigonia lusca lusca MHNT CUT 2010 0 132 El Dorado, Venezuela female ventral.jpg, Female ventral view

Biology

There are several generations per year in southern Florida. On the Galápagos Islands, adults are on wing in April and July. In the tropics, adults are probably on wing year round. The larvae have been recorded feeding on '' Guettarda macrosperma'', '' Guettarda scabra'', ''

Coffea ''Coffea'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Family (biology), family Rubiaceae. ''Coffea'' species are shrubs or small trees native to tropical and southern Africa and tropical Asia. The seeds of some species, called coffee beans, are use ...

'' species (including ''

Coffea arabica ''Coffea arabica'' (), also known as the Arabic coffee, is a species of flowering plant in the coffee and madder family Rubiaceae. It is believed to be the first species of coffee to have been cultivated and is currently the dominant cultivar, r ...

''), '' Ilex krugiana'', ''

Ilex paraguariensis ''Ilex'' (), or holly, is a genus of over 570 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. ''Ilex'' has the most species of any woody dioecious angiosperm genus. The species are evergreen o ...

'', ''

Genipa americana ''Genipa americana'' () is a species of trees in the family Rubiaceae. It is native to the tropical forests of North and South America, as well as the Caribbean. Description ''Genipa americana'' trees are up to 30 m tall and up to 60 cm d ...

'', '' Rondeletia'', '' Gonzalagunia'' species (including '' Gonzalagunia spicata'') and '' Cinchona succirubra''. They are green with a yellow tail horn and a dark blue stripe down the back. There is at least one color morph.

Subspecies and formes

*''Perigonia lusca lusca'' (Mexico to Panama and Honduras, Venezuela, Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Bahamas, Cuba, Puerto Rico, St. Vincent, southern United States) *''Perigonia lusca continua'' Vázquez-G., 1959 (Revillagigedo Island and Soccoro Island in Mexico) * ''Perigonia lusca'' f. ''interrupta'' Walker, 1875 Perigonia lusca f. interrupta MHNT CUT 2010 0 189 Planaltina (Goiás) Brazil male dorsal.jpg, ''Perigonia lusca'' f. ''interrupta''
Male dorsal view Perigonia lusca f. interrupta MHNT CUT 2010 0 189 Planaltina (Goiás) Brazil male ventral.jpg, ''Perigonia lusca'' f. ''interrupta''
Male ventral view Perigonia lusca f. interrupta MHNT CUT 2010 0 169 La Habana Cuba female dorsal.jpg, ''Perigonia lusca'' f. ''interrupta''
Female dorsal view Perigonia lusca f. interrupta MHNT CUT 2010 0 169 La Habana Cuba female ventral.jpg, ''Perigonia lusca'' f. ''interrupta''
Female ventral view

References

External links

* Perigonia Moths described in 1777 {{Dilophonotini-stub