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Species Cocytius antaeus - Giant Sphinx - Hodges#7772

Representative Images

Giant Sphinx Moth - Cocytius antaeus Giant Sphinx Moth - Cocytius antaeus SphinxMothGiantCaterpillar_Cocytius_antaeus - Cocytius antaeus MothGiantSphinx_Cocytius_antaeus11192015_MS_ - Cocytius antaeus Cocytius antaeus - male Very Large Caterpillar - Cocytius antaeus Very large moth on sidewalk - Cocytius antaeus Cocytius antaeus
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 Sphinginae
Tribe Sphingini
Genus Cocytius
Species antaeus (Giant Sphinx - Hodges#7772)

Hodges Number

7772

Pronunciation

sfinks AN-tee-us

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Originally described in 1773 by Dru Drury as Sphinx antaeus

Explanation of Names

Probably named after Antaeus- Greek Antaios (Ανταιος)- a giant in Greek mythology.

Range

In our area resident mostly in Florida, rare in southern Texas, with adults straying from Mexico into southern Arizona and California, and very rarely turning up as far away as Chicago. Found throughout the tropical parts of Central and South America and the Caribbean.

Habitat

Tropical lowlands

Season

Year-round in the tropics

Food

Larvae feed on Annona glabra, the Custard Apple, and have been reported on other species of Annona in the tropics

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group (MPG)
Illustrations of Natural History By Dru Drury (Plate 25, fig.1) Original description of the species (The illustration described is a few pages back, and the scientific name is given in an index at the end of the book) Google Books
Butterflies and Moths of North America
Markku Savela's Funet species account
Moths of Southeastern Arizona- Sphingidae (Hawkmoths)
Contributed by Alan Chin Lee on 16 March, 2008 - 3:14pm
Additional contributions by Chuck Entz, Steve Morris
Last updated 21 April, 2025 - 7:30pm

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