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Updated as per
AN ANNOTATED CHECKLIST OF THE SPHINGIDAE OF BOLIVIA, October 2007 Updated as per CATE, October 18, 2011 Updated as per personal communication with Ezequiel Bustos (Shilap revta. lepid. 43 (172) diciembre, 2015, 615-631 eISSN 2340-4078 ISSN 0300-5267), January 4, 2016 |
Manduca diffissa mesosa, Villa Rio Bermejito, Chaco,
Argentina, 730mm,
courtesy of Ezequiel Osvaldo Núñez Bustos,
id by Ian Kitching.
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 |
MIDI MUSICcopyright C. Odenkirk ON.OFF |
Ian Kitching writes, "At present (October 2007), the subspecies
situation in Manduca diffissa is rather confused.
"Manduca diffissa diffissa is a small grey subspecies from
SE Argentina and Uruguay. It might be a separate/distinct species?
Rothschild & Jordan listed M. d. diffissa from Paraguay but I
suspect these would be better placed as M. d. petuniae
(though I have not checked closely).
"Manduca diffissa petuniae is generally (but not always) a pale
brown form from SE Brazil as far north as Minas Gerais (and probably
in the Iguazu, Argentina area).
"Manduca diffissa tropicalis is a larger, darker form from Minas
Gerais to Colombia. However, to quote R&J: 'The ground colour of the
forewing is, however, variable, some individuals being decidedly more
russet than others, though not so pale as petuniae'."
"Manduca diffissa mesosa is a form from Salta and Tucuman in
northern Argentina (and probably southern Bolivia) that is
intermediate between tropicalis and petuniae(!).
"Manduca diffissa zischkai is a high altitude subspecies from
Bolivia that may be a separate species.
"Manduca diffissa ssp in eastern Ecuador is decidedly greenish,
and the distinction between this and Manduca mossi is
difficult to determine and is under study by Jean Haxaire (it was
being studied by Jean-Marie Cadiou and me until his untimely
passing).
"I doubt that the distinction between mesosa, petuniae and
tropicalis will hold, but maybe DNA barcoding will suggest how
things should be organized."
CATE: "Intermediate in size between Manduca diffissa petuniae and Manduca diffissa diffissa, but with some overlap.
"Upperside of body and forewing darker than Manduca diffissa diffissa and Manduca diffissa zischkai, more similar to
Manduca diffissa petuniae and Manduca diffissa tropicalis.
"Abdomen underside usually shaded with fuscous."
Manduca diffissa mesosa male, Salta, Argentina,
CATE, on my home computer only.
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