Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Silkworm, Sphinx, and Royal Moths (Bombycoidea) » Sphinx Moths (Sphingidae) » Macroglossinae » Macroglossini » Eumorpha » Gaudy Sphinx - Hodges#7866 (Eumorpha labruscae)

Species Eumorpha labruscae - Gaudy Sphinx - Hodges#7866

Fresh Specimen - Eumorpha labruscae - female

Slug? Caterpillar? Mutant? Found in residential yard in Oak Hill neighborhood in Austin, Texas. - Eumorpha labruscae

MothSphingidae_1976 - Eumorpha labruscae

Gaudy Sphinx, Eumorpha labruscae, in College Station - Eumorpha labruscae

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 labruscae (Gaudy Sphinx - Hodges#7866)

Hodges Number

7866

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

First described in 1758 by Linnaeus as Sphinx labruscae

Explanation of Names

labruscae is Latin for "of labrusca". Labrusca was an ancient Latin word for a wild grapevine, but Linnaeus used the old name for a new American species, Vitis labrusca.

Size

wingspan about 11 cm, based on Moth Photographers Group specimen

Range

Argentina north through Central America, Mexico, and the West Indies to Florida, Mississippi, South Texas, and Arizona. Strays to Missouri, southern Michigan, Pennsylvania, Maine, and southern Saskatchewan.

Season

Several flights throughout the year in Florida, one flight from September-November northward.

Food

Cissus incisa, Cissus verticillata, Eupatorium odoratum, Ludwigia, Magnolia, Parthenocissus and Vitis vinifera (Bill Oehlke)

Life Cycle

life cycle photos - Berry Nall

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group - range map, photos of larvae, living and pinned adults.

Butterflies and Moths of North America

Bill Oehlke's Sphingidae of North America

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

SphingidaeUSA Eumorpha labruscae

Contributed by Alan Chin Lee on 2 September, 2004 - 10:06pm
Additional contributions by anitagould, Chuck Entz, Maury Heiman, marcie oconnor, teakh
Last updated 28 November, 2022 - 5:49am

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