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Species Lapara bombycoides - Northern Pine Sphinx - Hodges#7817
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 Lapara
Species bombycoides (Northern Pine Sphinx - Hodges#7817)
Other Common Names Sphinx du pin - En français… Ilze V-G.
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes Lapara bombycoides Walker, 1856
* phylogenetic sequence #227450
Explanation of Names Species name bombycoides from Greek bomby silkmoth, silk; plus oide like, form (1).
Identification Adult: forewing gray with heavy black curved AM and zigzag PM lines bordered proximally by pale shading, and distally by dark shading; two or three black dashes in median area, and usually some brownish shading along inner margin near base; hindwing unmarked, brownish-gray, paler toward base
Larva: body green with 6 prominent pale yellow stripes, those below spiracles broader, whiter, and occasionally interrupted; dorsum, spiracular areas, and prolegs may be marked with reddish patches; head triangular, front often rusty-colored, and with yellow line running from antenna to crown; horn absent
[adapted from description by David Wagner and Valerie Giles]
Range Alberta to Nova Scotia, south to Georgia, west to Minnesota (rare in southeastern states; US distribution map shows confirmed records from Florida but the species is not on the List of Florida Lepidoptera)
Habitat coniferous and mixed forests; adults are nocturnal and come to light
Season adults fly in June and July
larvae in August and September
Food larvae feed on foliage of Red Pine (Pinus resinosa), Pitch Pine (P. rigida), Scots Pine (P. sylvestris), and Tamarack (Larix laricina)
Life Cycle one generation per year; overwinters as a pupa in the soil
See Also The more southerly Pine Sphinx ( L. coniferarum) has thinner and less conspicuous lines on the forewing, often has more noticeable brownish shading along inner margin near base, and does not occur in Canada
Larvae are visually inseparable from larvae of the Pine Sphinx, according to C.T. Maier et al.
Print References Hodges, R. W., 1971. Moths of America North of Mexico, Fascicle 21. p. 75; pl. 6.3-4, 6. (2)
Borror, entries for bomby, oide (1)
Internet References Moth Photographers Group - range map, photos of living and pinned adults.
live images of adults and larva plus description, distribution, biology, etc. (Bill Oehlke, silkmoths.bizland.com)
live adult images (Lynn Scott, Ontario)
US distribution map plus description, flight season, larval foodplants, habitat (butterfliesandmoths.org)
live larva image plus description, foodplants, seasonality, life cycle (David Wagner and Valerie Giles, Caterpillars of Eastern Forests)
live larva image plus description, foodplants, biology, seasonality (C.T Maier et al, USDA Forest Service, forestpests.org)
pinned adult image (John Glaser, Maryland)
distribution in Canada list of provinces (CBIF)
Works Cited 1. | Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms Donald J. Borror. 1960. Mayfield Publishing Company. |  |
2. | The Moths of America North of Mexico Fascicle 21 Sphingidae Ronald W. Hodges. 1971. The Wedge Entomological Research Foundation. | |
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