DISTRIBUTION:

Syssphinx colla (wingspan: males: 64-81mm; females: 85-103mm) flies in
Costa Rica: Alajuela, Guanacaste (There may be one or more cryptic species flying in Guanacaste, DJ), Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose (IB);
Mexico: Morelos, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Chiapas;
Belize (MB);
Guatemala: Cayuga;
Honduras: Francisco Morazán (RC), probably Atlantida (RL); and
(probably El Salvador (WO));
Nicaragua Zelaya, Rio San Juan (JMM); and
Panama: Chiriqui; Panama: Radisson.

Predominant ground colour is grayish brown with a dense sprinkling of gray dots, although some specimens have only a weak speckling. There is also variability with regard to forewing and hindwing cell markings.

Syssphinx colla male, La Ceiba, Atlantida, Honduras,
89mm, May 2, 1997, 125m, courtesy of Robert Lehman, tentative confirmation by Bill Oehlke.

Syssphinx colla male, La Ceiba, Atlantida, Honduras,
85mm, February 19, 2001, 100m, courtesy of Robert Lehman, tentative confirmation by Bill Oehlke.

The images immediately above from Honduras was sent to me as S. colla and it may well be that species, but it is quite large, and I do not want to rule out Adeloneivaia jason. In Costa Rica, S. colla is known only from dry forest areas and there are dry areas near La Ceiba, Atlantida, Honduras, but they are scarce. Wing shape and very faint lines seem a good match for Syssphinx colla, but the specimen is quite faded.

Fortunately ventral surfaces are distinct with regard to S. colla which has very weak (practically non-existent) lines and A. jason which has distinct lines on all wings.

Syssphinx colla male, Costa Rica, dry forest only, courtesy of Dan Janzen.

Syssphinx colla male, Costa Rica, dry forest only, courtesy of Dan Janzen.

Syssphinx colla male (verso), Costa Rica, dry forest only, courtesy of Dan Janzen.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Syssphinx colla moths are on the wing in July-August and again in December. Tony James reports an April flight in Panama.

Larvae feed on Pithecellobium saman.

Syssphinx colla colla female, Radisson, Panama, Panama,
April 19, 2015, courtesy of Tony James.

Syssphinx colla colla female, Radisson, Panama, Panama,
April 19, 2015, courtesy of Tony James.

Syssphinx colla female courtesy of Dan Janzen.

Syssphinx colla female, Costa Rica, dry forest only, courtesy of Dan Janzen.

Syssphinx colla female, Costa Rica, dry forest only, courtesy of Dan Janzen.

Syssphinx colla female (verso), Costa Rica, dry forest only, courtesy of Dan Janzen.

Visit Syssphinx colla gynandromorph, Las Cuevas, Cayo District, Belize, courtesy of Norm Smith.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Syssphinx colla females "call in" males via an airbourne chemical attractant (pheromone). Males fly in a zigzag pattern into the night wind and pick up the scent with their antennae.

The forewings of the females are more rounded than those of the males.

Syssphinx colla male, Costa Rica, dry forest only, courtesy of Dan Janzen.

Syssphinx colla male, 77mm, Costa Rica, dry forest only, courtesy of Dan Janzen.

Syssphinx colla male, 77mm (verso), Costa Rica, dry forest only, courtesy of Dan Janzen.

EGGS, LARVAE AND PUPAE:

Eggs are a translucent green, and development can be seen through the egg shell. Early instar larvae are well equipped with elongated thoracic scoli which project forward over the head.

Many of the Syssphinx larvae have metallic markings which reflect light at night, making them easy to locate. During the day such scoli probably suggest a silver sky and offer some camouflage and protection from any "lower level" predators.

Larvae bulk up with diminished scoli development and colour in the fifth and final instar, but prepupation colour is deep rose dorsally. Images courtesy of Dan Janzen.

Pupation is in a deep subterranean chamber excavated by the larva, and pupae (50 mm) tend to be rough (spinous) with long cremasters.

Larval Food Plants

It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the foodplant will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

Albizia saman Gleditsia triacanthos Pithecellobium saman.......

Monkeypod/Rain tree Honey locust Rain tree

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The pronunciation of scientific names is troublesome for many. The "suggestion" at the top of the page is merely a suggestion. It is based on commonly accepted English pronunciation of Greek names and/or some fairly well accepted "rules" for latinized scientific names.

The suggested pronunciations, on this page and on other pages, are primarily put forward to assist those who hear with internal ears as they read.

There are many collectors from different countries whose intonations and accents would be different.

The genus name "Syssphinx" was probably chosen for the similarity of these moths (wing shape and resting position) to moths in the Sphingidae family.

I do not know the meaning of or reason for the species name "colla".