DISTRIBUTION:

Syssphinx mexicana (wingspan: males: 52-74mm; females: 84-93) (also classified as Adeloneivaia jason) flies in
Mexico: Oaxaca, Veracruz, Tabasco, Jalisco (JCGM), Quintana Roo, Nueva X-can, Chiapas, and probably Campeche;
Belize: Corozol, Cayo, Toledo;
Guatemala: Zacapa (CL), Peten (CB);
Honduras: Cortes (San Pedro Sula);
El Salvador: San Salvador;
Nicaragua: Grenada (JMM); and
Costa Rica: Guanacaste (CL) and Puntarenas (IB).

Those images (including eggs, larvae, pupae and adult moths) previously on this page from Guanacaste, Costa Rica, have been assigned to the recently described (Brechlin & Meister 2011) species, Syssphinx jennyphillipsae.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

There are probably at least two generations per year with peak flights in May and August-October.

Larvae feed on Acacia collinsii and Acacia cornigera.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Adults emerge from pupae, and males, whose forewings are much less rounded than those of the females, are slightly smaller than females.

Mating commences near mdnight, with male activity at lights peaking from 12:30- 2:30 am.

EGGS, LARVAE AND PUPAE:

Syssphinx ?? male, 70mm, Punta Gorda, Toledo, Belize,
courtesy of Norm Smith, tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

Mature larvae descend host plants and excavate subterranean chambers in which to pupate. Larval Food Plants It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the anticipated foodplant will prove useful.The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile. Acacia collinsii Acacia cornigera...... Bullhorn acacia Bull's horn acacia Use your browser "Back" button to return to the previous page. Return to Syssphinx Genus Goto Mexican and Central American Saturniidae Directory Goto Main Saturniidae Index includes North America 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. The species name "mexicana" is indicative of a collecting locale in Mexico.