Updated as per AN ANNOTATED CHECKLIST OF THE SPHINGIDAE OF BOLIVIA, October 2007
Updated as per Sphingidae (Lepidoptera) de Venezuela, Compilado por: María Esperanza Chacín; December 2009
Updated as per CATE (La Oroya, Junin, Peru); February 11, 2011
Updated as per personal communication with Attila Steiner (San Pedro, Cusco, Peru, July 2010); June 7, 2011
Updated as per personal communication with Hubert Mayer (Rio Hollin, Napo, Ecuador; November); August 9, 2011
Updated as per personal communication with Ezequiel Osvaldo Núñez Bustos (Apa-Apa Private Reserve, Sud Yungas, Bolivia, November 28, 2012); June 18, 2013

Adhemarius tigrina tigrina
ad-heh-MAHRR-ee-usMtye-GREE-nuh
(R. Felder, 1874) Ambulyx

Adhemarius tigrina tigrina

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

TAXONOMY:

Superfamily: Sphingoidea, Dyar, 1902
Family: Sphingidae, Latreille, 1802
Subfamily: Sphinginae, Latreille, 1802
Tribe: Smerinthini, Grote & Robinson, 1865
Genus: Adhemarius, Oicitica, 1939
Species: tigrina tigrina, (R. Felder, 1874)

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DISTRIBUTION:

Adhemarius tigrina tigrina (forewing length: 57 - 63mm) flies from
Peru: Junin: Le Oroya (3745m); Cusco: San Pedro (AS); Puno: Carabaya; (Oxapampa, Chanchamayo (HM)) to
Ecuador: (Napo: Rio Hollin (HM));
Venezuela: Aragua, Barinas, Distrito Federal, Lara, Merida, Tachira. It also has been recorded in
Bolivia: La Paz (750m).

If my identification of the following moth is correct, it also flies in northern part of the Central Cordillera in Colombia. In the Western Cordillera it is replaced by Adhemarius tigrina coronata. Possibly the moth below from the Central Cordillera is subspecies Adhemarius tigrina coronata.

Adhemarius tigrina tigrina, Central Cordillera, Colombia,
1600m, courtesy of Joakim Johansson.

Adhemarius tigrina tigrina, Central Cordillera, Colombia,
1600m, courtesy of Joakim Johansson.

Adhemarius tigrina tigrina??, Apa-Apa Private Reserve, Chulamani, Sud Yungas, Bolivia,
November 28, 2012, courtesy of Ezequiel Osvaldo Núñez Bustos

I note the specimen from Sud Yungas, Bolivia, seems to have 1) slightly different pattern on visible portion of hindwing, 2) the forewing outer margin and curve of produced apex are "off", 3) the forewing am line is quite constricted, 4) upper curve of dark marginal patch is different from other specimens on this page. All of the above could be normal variation or angle and lighting of photograph, or perhaps this is an undescribed species or subspecies.

A. tigrina is similar to Adhemarius sexoculata, but the hindwing subapical spots on veins CuA2 and 1A are (in tigrina) small (not forming "eyespots"), black with a narrow white margin, with a minute one in a similar position on the remnant of vein CuP). The hindwing basal area is yellow (pink in Adhemarius sexoculata) with three distinct bands of quadrangular yellow patches. In Adhemarius sexoculata the middle and outermost of the three bands of yellow patches are merge longitudinally into streaks. The hw underside has a prominent, nearly straight transverse median line. CATE

Adhemarius tigrina, San Pedro, Cusco, Peru,
July 2010, courtesy of Attila Steiner.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Adhemarius tigrina tigrina has at least two broods each year with peak flights in February and again in July-August. Hubert Mayer reports a November flight in Napo, Ecuador, as well as a July flight in Oxampampa, Peru.

Adhemarius tigrina tigrina larvae probably feed upon Ocotea veraguensis, Ocotea atirrensis, Ocotea sarah and Ocotea dendrodaphne.

Adhemarius tigrina tigrina male, courtesy of Hubert Mayer copyright.

Adhemarius tigrina tigrina

Adhemarius tigrina male, Rio Hollin, Napo, Ecuador,
November 23, 1998, courtesy/copyright of Hubert Mayer.

Visit series of Adhemarius tigrina, courtesy of Hubert Mayer.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females exude a pheromone from the tip of the abdomen into the night sky to call in the males.

EGGS, LARVAE AND PUPAE:

Larval Food Plants


Listed below are primary food plant(s) and alternate 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.

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