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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Silkworm, Sphinx, and Royal Moths (Bombycoidea) » Sphinx Moths (Sphingidae) » Macroglossinae » Dilophonotini » Aellopos » Titan Sphinx - Hodges#7849 (Aellopos titan)

Species Aellopos titan - Titan Sphinx - Hodges#7849

Classification · Hodges Number · Other Common Names · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Size · Range · Food · Life Cycle · See Also · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

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)

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group(4)

BOLD: The Barcode of Life Data System (5)

Sphingidae.US - Aellopos titan

Dallas County Lepidopterists' Society

Works Cited

1.	Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America Charles V. Covell, Jr. 2005.

2.	The Moths of America North of Mexico Fascicle 21 Sphingidae Ronald W. Hodges. 1971. The Wedge Entomological Research Foundation.

3.	The Hawk Moths of North America, A Natural History Study of the Sphingidae of the United States and Canada. James P Tuttle. 2007. The Wedge Entomological Research Foundation Inc.

4.	North American Moth Photographers Group

5.	BOLD: The Barcode of Life Data Systems

Contributed by Abigail Parker on 19 October, 2009 - 8:41pm
Additional contributions by Chuck Entz, Mike Quinn, Maury Heiman, teakh, Steve Morris
Last updated 7 February, 2023 - 9:15am

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