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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Silkworm, Sphinx, and Royal Moths (Bombycoidea) » Sphinx Moths (Sphingidae) » Macroglossinae » Dilophonotini » Aellopos » Fadus Sphinx - Hodges#7850 (Aellopos fadus)

Species Aellopos fadus - Fadus Sphinx - Hodges#7850

Representative Images

Fadus Sphinx Moth Aellopos fadus - Aellopos fadus Fadus Sphinx - Aellopos fadus Sphinx Moth - Aellopos fadus Sphinx Moth - Aellopos fadus Sphinx Moth - Aellopos fadus
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 Sphingidae (Sphinx Moths)
Subfamily Macroglossinae
Tribe Dilophonotini
Genus Aellopos
Species fadus (Fadus Sphinx - Hodges#7850)

Hodges Number

7850

Explanation of Names

Aellopos fadus (Cramer, 1776)

Size

WS-2 1/4 - 2 3/4 inches (6.4 - 7 cm)

Identification

Brown body with a wide white band across the abdomen. Exhibits two forewing spot bands and the post median spot band transverses wing from trailing to leading edge and has parallel double white spots. Lacks dark spot at end of forewing cell. Hindwing has a pale patch on the costa and one on the inner margin.

Range

s. TX, s. FL with a few scattered strays much further north / Mex to S. Amer. / W. Indies - Map (MPG)

Habitat

Tropical and subtropical lowlands.

Season

All year in the tropics; one brood from September-December in Texas, Arkansas, and Florida.

Food

Caterpillar- Plants in the madder family (Rubiaceae) including Genipa and Alibertia

Life Cycle

Caterpillars pupate in loose cocoons spun in shallow underground burrows.

See Also

Titan Sphinx - Range: e. NA - has distinctive dark spot at end of cell on forewing that is lacking fadus (1)
Clavipes Sphinx - Range: sw US, but mostly FL

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group - MPG
SilkMoths - Bill Oehlke
BOLD
BAMONA
Sphingidae.US - Aellopos fadus

Works Cited

1.The Moths of America North of Mexico Fascicle 21 Sphingidae
Ronald W. Hodges. 1971. The Wedge Entomological Research Foundation.
Contributed by Cliff Ivy on 4 December, 2016 - 4:17am
Additional contributions by Mike Quinn, teakh, Steve Morris
Last updated 7 February, 2023 - 9:16am

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