Erinnyis obscura male courtesy of Dan Janzen.

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

TAXONOMY: Family: Sphingidae, Latreille, 1802 Subfamily: Macroglossinae, Harris, 1839 Tribe: Dilophonotini, Burmeister, 1878 Genus: Erinnyis Hubner, [1819] ........... Species: obscura Schaus 1898

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DISTRIBUTION:

The Obscure sphinx, Erinnyis obscura (Wing span: 3 1/4 - 3 3/4 inches (8.3 - 9.5 cm)), flies in tropical and subtropical lowlands and foothills from Paraguay north through Central America, Mexico, and the West Indies. This species strays north to southern Florida (specimen type locality), southern Texas, Arizona, and southern California.

The upperside of the abdomen is gray, without black bands, and the underside does not have black spots. The upperside of the forewing is dark brown, and it may have pale yellow-brown patches at the tip and along the inner edge. The upperside of the hindwing is dull orange with a narrow black border.

FLIGHT TIMES:

Erinnyis obscura broods continuously in the tropics and in south Florida.

During the night adults nectar at flowers, including bouncing bet (Saponaria officinalis).

Moths are on the wing from July-August in the southern United States. In Costa Rica moths have been taken in all months except February and March.

ECLOSION: Adults eclose from pupae formed in loose cocoons spun among surface litter. Pupal stage can be as few as fourteen days. SCENTING AND MATING: Females call in the males with a pheromone released from a gland at the tip of the abdomen. Erinnyis obscura female courtesy of Dan Janzen. EGGS, LARVAE, PUPAE: Larvae probably feed on various plants in the dogbane family (Apocynaceae): Rauvolfia ligustrina, Rauvolfia tetraphylla, Stemmadenia obovata. Return to U. S. A. Table Return to Sphingidae Index Return to Dilophonotini Tribe