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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 » Macroglossini » Eumorpha » Vine Sphinx - Hodges#7864 (Eumorpha vitis)

Species Eumorpha vitis - Vine Sphinx - Hodges#7864

Classification · Hodges Number · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · See Also · Internet References

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 Macroglossini

Genus Eumorpha

Species vitis (Vine Sphinx - Hodges#7864)

Hodges Number

7864

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Eumorpha vitis (Linnaeus)

Orig. Comb: Sphinx vitis Linnaeus, 1758

Explanation of Names

species name "vitis" and common name "Vine" both refer to the species' use of grapes (genus Vitis) and other vines as host plants for caterpillars

Identification

Caterpillar is green or brownish with diagonal white stripes on the flanks; lacks the usual "horn" of sphingid larvae. Adult has dark wings with one broad pale stripe that splits into a "Y" in toward the body, and three thin stripes crossing the Y.

Range

mostly TX, FL - Map - MPG

Florida west to southern Arizona, south through the West Indies and Mexico to Argentina. Stray individuals recorded as far north as Nebraska, Missouri, and Illinois.

Habitat

tropical and subtropical lowlands

Season

Apr-Nov - MPG

Food

Adults are nectar feeders, possibly favoring orchids, Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium), and Periwinkle (Vinca spp.).

Caterpillars feed on foliage of several genera including Vitis, Cissus, Parthenocissus, Ludwigia, and Magnolia.

See Also

Banded Sphinx - Eumorpha fasciatus - has the brown band along costa (leading edge of wing)

White-lined Sphinx - Hyles lineata) - superficially similar

Larvae are similar to Achemon sphinx, Eumorpha achemon, but 4 - 5 white spiracular lines are not segmented.

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group - MPG

Sphingidae of the Americas

BAMONA

Systema naturae, 10th ed., p.491 - Linnaeus' original description of the species (in Latin)

SphingidaeUSA Eumorpha vitis

Contributed by Joshua Stuart Rose on 2 June, 2006 - 9:49am
Additional contributions by Hannah Nendick-Mason, Chuck Entz, Mike Quinn, Ben Coulter, Maury Heiman, teakh
Last updated 26 September, 2019 - 11:49am

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