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Species Aellopos titan - Titan Sphinx - Hodges#7849

Representative Images

Titan Sphinx - Aellopos titan Hummingbird wings & flight yet insect. - Aellopos titan 7280-unidentified moth - Aellopos titan Aellopus titan - Aellopos titan Small sphinx moth - Aellopos titan Titan Sphinx Moth - Aellopos titan Aellopos titan; preliminary identification. - Aellopos titan moth - Aellopos titan
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 titan (Titan Sphinx - Hodges#7849)

Hodges Number

7849

Other Common Names

White-banded Day Sphinx

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Aellopos titan (Cramer, 1777)
First described in 1777 by Pieter Cramer as Sphinx titan
Aellopos titan

Size

Wingspan: 55 - 65 mm

Range

Established in Florida Keys and deep southern U.S.(1) Strays north to Maine and North Dakota.

Food

Caterpillars: Plants in the madder family (Rubiaceae), including Randia, seven-year apple, and pond apple.(1)

Life Cycle

Several broods throughout the year in the Florida Keys, one brood from June-October elsewhere. Caterpillars pupate in loose cocoons within shallow underground burrows.

See Also

Aellopos fadus - very uncommon to southeast U.S. - can be separated from titan by lack of distinctive dark spot at end of cell on forewing. (2)
Clavipes Sphinx - Range: sw US, but mostly TX
Tantalus Sphinx - Range: mostly FL

Print References

Tuttle, J. P., 2007. Hawk Moths of North America: p. 153; pl. 5.2.(3)