Perigonia lusca

Perigonia lusca, the half-blind sphinx or coffee sphinx, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1777.

Half-blind sphinx
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Sphingidae
Genus: Perigonia
Species:
P. lusca
Binomial name
Perigonia lusca
(Fabricius, 1777)[1]
Synonyms
  • Sphinx lusca Fabricius, 1777
  • Stenolophia tenebrosa R. Felder, 1874
  • Perigonia restituta Walker, 1865
  • Perigonia interrupta Walker, 1865
  • Macroglossa doto Schaufuss, 1870
  • Perigonia lusca major Clark, 1928
  • Perigonia lusca bahamensis Clark, 1919
  • Macroglossa doto Schaufuss, 1870

Distribution

It is found from the northern tip of South America, through most of Central America, and up to Florida in the United States.[2]

Description

The wingspan is 55–65 mm.

  • Male dorsal view
  • Male ventral view
  • Female dorsal view
  • Female ventral view

Biology

There are several generations per year in southern Florida. On the Galápagos Islands, adults are on wing in April and July. In the tropics, adults are probably on wing year round.

The larvae have been recorded feeding on Guettarda macrosperma, Guettarda scabra, Coffea species (including Coffea arabica), Ilex krugiana, Ilex paraguariensis, Genipa americana, Rondeletia, Gonzalagunia species (including Gonzalagunia spicata) and Cinchona succirubra. They are green with a yellow tail horn and a dark blue stripe down the back. There is at least one color morph.

Subspecies and formes
  • Perigonia lusca lusca (Mexico to Panama and Honduras, Venezuela, Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Bahamas, Cuba, Puerto Rico, St. Vincent, southern United States)
  • Perigonia lusca continua Vázquez-G., 1959 (Revillagigedo Island and Soccoro Island in Mexico)
  • Perigonia lusca f. interrupta Walker,1875
  • Perigonia lusca f. interrupta
    Male dorsal view
  • Perigonia lusca f. interrupta
    Male ventral view
  • Perigonia lusca f. interrupta
    Female dorsal view
  • Perigonia lusca f. interrupta
    Female ventral view

References
  1. "CATE Creating a Taxonomic eScience – Sphingidae". Cate-sphingidae.org. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  2. "Perigonia lusca". Silkmoths. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 19 October 2011.


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