Species Aellopos tantalus - Tantalus Sphinx - Hodges#7847

7847

First described by Linnaeus in 1758 as Sphinx tantalus

Evidently from Greek Tantalos (Τανταλος), a figure in Greek mythology- but the connection isn't obvious.

Wingspan: 45 - 57 mm

Recorded from New York, and Michigan, but in our area probably established only in southern Florida. Mostly tropical.

Year-round in the tropics

Larvae feed on plants in the family Rubiaceae, with the best-documented species being Casasia clusiifolia, the Seven-Year Apple.

Adults feed on nectar

The female lays eggs on tender new growth of the hostplant, where the larvae feed until ready to pupate. At that time, they change color from green or brown to dark red and crawl down to the ground, where they build a pupation chamber, made with leaves held together by silk, under a few inches of leaf litter. In the Florida Keys there's no evidence of diapause, though their development slows in cooler weather.

The larval stages aren't well documented, with the first detailed information published in 1980 (see Internet references)

The life history of Aellopos tantalus (Sphingidae)- Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society: 1980 no.4 pp.327-329 (PDF format)

Butterflies and Moths of North America