Syssphinx quadrilineata
SIS-sfinkzMkwah-druh-LIN-ee-ay-tuh
(Grote & Robinson, 1867) Adelocephala

Syssphinx quadrilineata male, Honduras, wingspan 68mm, courtesy of Dr. Ronald D. Cave.

Syssphinx quadrilineata male, Arriaga, Chiapas, Mexico,
July 15, 2014, 60m, courtesy of Lauren Zarate,
via Ryan Saint-Laurent, id by Bill Oehlke.

This site has been created by Bill Oehlke at oehlkew@islandtelecom.com
Comments, suggestions and/or additional information are welcomed by Bill.

TAXONOMY: Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802 Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834 Subfamily: Ceratocampinae, Harris, 1841 was Syssphinginae: Packard, 1905 Genus: Syssphinx, Hubner [1819] 1816

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DISTRIBUTION:

Syssphinx quadrilineata (wingspan: males: 51-68mm; females: 64-79mm) flies in
Mexico: Oaxaca, Temescal, Veracruz, Dos Amates, Huataxco, Catemaco, Misantla, Tampico, Playa Azul, Chiapas;
Belize: Corozol, Cayo, Stann Creek, Toledo, and probably Belize;
El Salvador: San Salvador;
Guatemala: Peten (CB);
Honduras: Atlantida, Comayagua, Francisco Morazán, Yoro (RDC);
Nicaragua: Madriz, Esteli, Jinotega, Route de Managua, Leon, Managua, Mayasa, Carazo, Grenada, Zelaya, Rio San Juan;
Costa Rica: Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas (CL), Alajuela, San Jose (IB);
Panama: Barro Colorado near Canal, Chiriqui: Boquette; and
Venezuela: Zulia;
at altitudes of 40-1700 meters above sea level.

Dan Janzen indicates there is possibly a cryptic species in Costa Rica.

Syssphinx quadrilineata male, San Gabriel de Mixtepec, Oaxaca, Mexico,
courtesy of Viktor Suter via Bernhard Wenczel

Syssphinx quadrilineata female, San Gabriel de Mixtepec, Oaxaca, Mexico,
courtesy of Viktor Suter via Bernhard Wenczel

The outer margin of the male forewing is straight or convex, not undulating as in molina. Ground colour is orangey-beige, and the hindwing discal spot is faint or non-existent.

Syssphinx quadrilineata male, Santa Elena, Peten, Guatemala,
October 5, 2005, (Jeff R. Slotten), courtesy of Charles Bordelon and Ed Knudson.

Syssphinx quadrilineata male, 57mm, Punta Gorda, Toledo, Belize,
courtesy of Norm Smith, d by Bill Oehlke.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

There are probably at least three generations of Syssphinx quadrilineata annually with peak flights in February, then again in June and again in October. Syssphinx quadrilineata larvae feed on various acacias.

Syssphinx quadrilineata female, courtesy of Leroy Simon.

Syssphinx quadrilineata female, courtesy of Leroy Simon.

Apparently females can be with or without speckling.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females call from 10:00 pm until shortly after midnight. Males fly into the wind in a zigzag fashion, pick up the pheromone plume with their antennae and find and mate with the calling female.

EGGS, LARVAE AND PUPAE:

The following evening the female begins her ovapositing flight, depositing green translucent eggs on host foliage and stems. In the early instars, elongated thoracic scoli arch over the larva's head. Dan Janzen image.

Thoracic scoli remain dominant for the first three instars and continue to arch forward. There is considerable change in larval colouration from one instar to the next. Dan Janzen image.

In the final instar thoracic scoli are greatly diminished and now arch over the body. Abdominal scoli are more developed and have metallic colouration. Mature larvae descend tree trunks and pupate in small chambers underground. Leroy Simon image.

Syssphinx quadrilineata larva, San Gabriel de Mixtepec, Oaxaca, Mexico,
courtesy of Viktor Suter via Bernhard Wenczel

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.

Acacia baileyana Acacia collinsii Acacia dealbata Acacia flexicaulis Gleditsia triacanthos Parkinsonia microphyllum..... Pithecellobium saman Prosopsis juliflora

Bailey's acacia Bullhorn acacia Silver wattle Ebony blackbead Honeylocust Jerusalem thorn Rain tree Honey mesquite

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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.

The species name "quadrilineata" may refer to the four distinct lines, two on each forewing of this moth.