Species Deidamia inscriptum - Lettered Sphinx Moth - Hodges#7871

7871

Deidamia inscriptum (Harris)

Pterogon inscriptum Harris, 1839

Phylogenetic sequence # 228875

Deidamia: in Greek mythology, the wife of Achilles and daughter of Lycomedes

Inscripta: Latin for "written on, inscribed"

The only species in the genus found in America north of Mexico.

wingspan 42-70 mm

Larva to 50 mm

Adult forewing light brown to grayish, crossed by dark parallel bands; outer margin deeply scalloped; a small black-and-white spot near the apex, hindwing reddish-brown with a dark terminal band.

Caterpillar: "yellow-green with sub-dorsal stripe that runs from horn forward over head to antenna. Yellow oblique lines pass under spiracles on A1 - A7... Horn yellow, often with downward curve...early instars more yellow than green with very long black horn that may be yellow at its apex" - Wagner(1) p.271

Texas to central Florida, north to New Hampshire, west through southern Quebec & Ontario to North Dakota - Map (MPG)

mostly: Mar-Jul (MPG)

The first sphinx moth of the season in most of its range.

larvae feed on Virginia Creeper, Wild Grape, and Pepper-Vine

one generation per year

Harris, T.W. 1839. Catalogue of North American Sphinges. The American Journal of Science and Arts 36(2): p.306

Moth Photographers Group - MPG

Bill Oehlke website

BOLD - Barcode of Life Data Systems

Butterflies and Moths of North America