DISTRIBUTION:

Lintneria phalerata (forewing length: 40-45mm) flies in
Argentina: Jujuy, Tucuman: Cochuna and Tafe de Valle (NV); Salta and San Juan, and
Bolivia: Chuquisaca: Tomina (2000m, February).

In his The Hawk Moths of North America, 2007, James P. Tuttle has assigned all the Sphinx genus species from Mexico south throughout South American to Lintneria, Butler, 1876, based on consistent differences in wing characters and significant larval differences.

"Forewing length similar to that of Lintneria maura, shorter than in Lintneria aurigutta (about 55 mm.)

"Body upperside differs from Lintneria maura as follows: tegulae darker than the rest of the thorax; external edge of both tegulae dark, starting at the antennae and continuing on the head and thorax as in Lintneria aurigutta and Lintneria justiciae; inner edges of tegulae are not as strongly defined. In neither Lintneria arthuri nor Lintneria maura are the tegulae coloured differently from the thorax. Metanotum with 2 golden yellow spots between the two dark lateral marks. Abdomen upperside similar to Lintneria maura; the underside more similar to Lintneria aurigutta.

Upperside of both wings brownish; pattern similar to Lintneria aurigutta and Lintneria justiciae. Forewing upperside a longitudinal reddish-brown patch around vein CuA2.

"Hindwing upperside with bands darker than the forewing ground colour, more similar to that of Lintneria maura." CATE

Regarding the image formerly at the top of the page, Nigel Venters writes, "Here is Lintneria phalerata (now at top of page). Having looked at the images of L. phalerata on your Sphinx moth website, I think the image is of a Lintneria maura! (formerly at top of page) S. phalerata is much darker, with few markings on the forewings, and has two small white spots on the forewings. The underside is the clinch as S. maura has a black line of dots in the sub-marginal area of the forewings. L. phalerata has white body spots reaching further down the body than L. maura."

Ezekiel Bustos also feels pretty certain that the image formerly at top of page is L. maura, and I (Bill Oehlke) agree, and I have moved it to the L. maura page.

FLIGHT TIMES:

Lintneria phalerata adults fly in January-February-March and November and possibly at other times.

ECLOSION:

Pupae probably wiggle to surface from subterranean chambers just prior to eclosion.

SCENTING AND MATING:

Females call in the males with a pheromone released from a gland at the tip of the abdomen. Adults probably nectar at a variety of flowers.

EGGS, LARVAE, PUPAE:

Please visit my special request for images of Lintneria species larvae at Lintneria larvae, and help if you can.

It is anticipated that the Lintneria larvae will most often be encountered on Lamiaceae: Salvia (Sage), Mentha (Mints), Monarda (Beebalm) and Hyptis (Bushmints); Verbenaceae: Verbena and Lantana camara (shrub verbenas or lantanas).

Although they may be encountered feeding during daylight hours, one is even more likely to discover them feeding in the evening or after dark.

Two of the greatest clues for discovering larvae are stripped foliage and droppings beneath the plant. You might be quite surprised at what will turn up in the evening or after dark in a flashlight assisted search.

It is believed that all "Lintneria larvae will exhibit "a fleshy thoracic dorsal "horn" in the first 4 instars (unique in the Sphingidae of the world to my knowledge) which is replaced by a thoracic dorsal "hump" with a large black patch in the 5th instar." J.A. Tuttle.

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