Smerinthus jamaicensis

Taxobox
name = Twin-Spotted Sphinx


image_width = 250px
image_caption = Adult specimen
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Insecta
ordo = Lepidoptera
unranked_familia = Macrolepidoptera
superfamilia = Bombycoidea
familia = Sphingidae
genus = "Smerinthus"
species = "S. jamaicensis"
binomial = "Smerinthus jamaicensis"
binomial_authority = (Drury, 1773)

The twin-spotted sphinx ("Smerinthus jamaicensis") is a species of Lepidoptera in the Sphingidae family. It has a wingspan of 1 3/4 - 3 1/4 inches (4.5 - 8.3 cm), with the outer margins of the forewings unevenly scalloped, but with the coastal margin of hindwings being almost straight. Males have gray with black and white markings on their forewings, while females are yellowish brown with dark brown and white markings. Both sexes have red hindwings with a pale yellow border. Sometimes a blue patch may appear as a single eyespot or it may be divided by black bands, creating two or three eyespots. Adult moths are nocturnal, but seem to prefer the earlier part hours of the night (Fullard & Napoleone 2001).

The caterpillar eats:
*Apple ("Malus sylvestris")
*"Prunus" species, such as plums and peach
*Ash ("Fraxinus")
*Elm ("Ulmus")
*Poplar ("Populus")
*Birch ("Betula")
*Willow ("Salix")

References

* (2001): Diel flight periodicity and the evolution of auditory defences in the Macrolepidoptera. "Animal Behaviour" 62(2): 349–368. doi|10.1006/anbe.2001.1753 [http://www.erin.utoronto.ca/~w3full/reprints/FullNapolDielAB.pdf PDF fulltext]

External links

* [http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species?l=3408 Twin-spotted sphinx] Butterflies and Moths of North America
* [http://www.silkmoths.bizland.com/sjamaice.htm Smerinthus jamaicensis] Sphingidae of the Americas