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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Silkworm, Sphinx, and Royal Moths (Bombycoidea) » Giant Silkworm and Royal Moths (Saturniidae) » Royal Moths (Ceratocampinae) » Syssphinx » Heiligbrodt's Mesquite Moth  - Hodges#7710 (Syssphinx heiligbrodti)

Species Syssphinx heiligbrodti - Heiligbrodt's Mesquite Moth - Hodges#7710

Classification · Hodges Number · Other Common Names · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · See Also · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited
Sphingicampa (Syssphinx) heiligbrodti (Harvey) - Syssphinx heiligbrodti Sphingicampa (Syssphinx) heiligbrodti (Harvey) - Syssphinx heiligbrodti dead caterpillar found in july in south texas by some mesquite trees - Syssphinx heiligbrodti Hodges #7710 - Syssphinx heiligbrodti - male Sphingicampa heiligbrodti ? - Syssphinx heiligbrodti Hodges #7710 - Syssphinx heiligbrodti Syssphinx heiligbrodti (Heiligbrodt's Mesquite Moth) - Syssphinx heiligbrodti Heiligbrodt’s Syssphinx Moth ova - caterpillar almost ready to emerge - Syssphinx heiligbrodti
Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Bombycoidea (Silkworm, Sphinx, and Royal Moths)
Family Saturniidae (Giant Silkworm and Royal Moths)
Subfamily Ceratocampinae (Royal Moths)
Genus Syssphinx
Species heiligbrodti (Heiligbrodt's Mesquite Moth - Hodges#7710)
Hodges Number
7710
Other Common Names
Bloodshot-eyed Moth
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Sphingicampa heiligbrodti (Harvey, 1877)
Anisota heiligbrodti Harvey, 1877
Synonyms
Syssphinx heiligbrodti (Dyar, 1901)
Adelocephala heiligbrodti (Harvey, 1877)
Explanation of Names
The species is named in honor of Mr. L. Heiligbrodt who collected the holotype in Bastrop County, texas.
Size
Harvey (1877) reported the wingspan.
♂ 54 mm.
♀ 76 mm.
Identification
Adult moth is paler than the very similar S. hubbardi. Most easily separated by distribution, with S. heiligbrodti found in south and central Texas, and S. hubbardi from west Texas through Arizona. The two species do overlap in the Del Rio vicinity.

Caterpillar has a larger number of silvery plates on its back than larvae of most other members of this genus, but probably cannot be separated from S. hubbardi in areas where the two species overlap.
Range
Southern Texas from Del Rio to Bastrop and southward.(1), (2)
Habitat
Woodlands and brushlands.
Season
The flight period is March to November. (3), (2)
Food
Primarily Honey Mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa), though may take other species of mesquite, acacia, and related leguminous trees
See Also
Sphingicampa hubbardi Del Rio, Texas to Arizona.
Print References
Ferguson, D.C., 1971. The Moths of America North of Mexico, Fascicle 20.2a. E.W. Classey & R.D.B. Publications Inc., p. 42; pl. 4.1-2. (4)
Harvey, L.F., 1877. Description of a new Texan Anisota. The Canadian Entomologist, 9: p. 110.
Tuskes, P.M., Tuttle, J.P., & M.M. Collins, 1996. The Wild Silk Moths of North America: A Natural History of the Saturniidae of the United States and Canada. Cornell University Press. pp. 86-87, plate 11--adult, plate 2--larva, map 8 (5)
Internet References
Moth Photographers Group (2)
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) (3)
Butterflies and Moths of North America (6)
Works Cited
1.Illustrated Checklist of the Lepidoptera of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas, Vol. 2B: Macro-Moths
Ed Knudson & Charles Bordelon. 2004. Texas Lepidoptera Survey, Houston. xiv + 59 pp. 20 plates.
2.North American Moth Photographers Group
3.BOLD: The Barcode of Life Data Systems
4.MONA - Saturniidae
D.C. Ferguson. 1971. E.W. Classey & R.D.B. Publications Inc.
5.The Wild Silk Moths of North America: A Natural History of the Saturniidae of the United States and Canada
Paul M. Tuskes, James P. Tuttle, Michael M. Collins. 1996. Cornell University Press.
6.Butterflies of North America
Contributed by Jim McClarin on 20 August, 2006 - 9:29am
Additional contributions by cotinis, Joshua Stuart Rose, Mike Quinn, Maury Heiman
Last updated 2 March, 2021 - 9:21pm

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