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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 » Xylophanes » Falcon Sphinx - Hodges#7889 (Xylophanes falco)

Species Xylophanes falco - Falcon Sphinx - Hodges#7889

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

Xylophanes falco larva - Xylophanes falco

Xylophanes falco larva parasitized - Xylophanes falco

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 Xylophanes

Species falco (Falcon Sphinx - Hodges#7889)

Hodges Number

7889

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Xylophanes falco (Walker)

Orig. Comb: Chaerocampa falco Walker 1856

Size

wingspan 70-80 mm

Identification

Adult: forewing slender, pointed, with slightly hooked tip and falcate inner margin; upper half orangish-brown, bordered below by dark brown or blackish longitudinal band from base to apex; 3 or 4 dark lines run parallel to outer margin; hindwing pale yellowish at base, with dark median and subterminal bands

Larva: thorax brownish-gray with single large black "eye" having pale perimeter and center; abdomen dark gray to blackish, girdled by many bands of white dots; several large white spots or oblique strips along the side

Range

se AZ to w. TX / Mex. to C. Amer. - Map (MPG)

Habitat

oak woodlands and streamsides

Season

May-Oct in US; all year in the tropics

Food

larvae feed on Firecrackerbush (Bouvardia ternifolia [=glaberrima]) in the madder family (Rubiaceae)

adults take nectar from various herbaceous plants, including thistles

See Also

Xylophanes tersa (Linnaeus) - Range: e. US

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group - MPG

Butterflies and Moths of North America - BAMONA

Silk Moths - Bill Oehlke

Contributed by Ethan Kistler on 18 February, 2007 - 5:34pm
Additional contributions by Robin McLeod, Mike Quinn
Last updated 30 October, 2017 - 2:38pm

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