Updated as per CATE Sphingidae: Panama, Colombia, Ecuador Updated as per personal communication with Pia Oberg (Ecuador: Napo: Wildsumaco, March 1, 2011); November 30, 2011 Updated as per personal communication with Vadim Kroutov (wingspans, verso images, Esmeraldas, Ecuador); February 21, 2015 |
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 |
"Upperside of body deep rich brown (olive-green in Xylophanes aristor).
Forewing upperside similar to Xylophanes aristor but ground colour a deep rich brown (rather than olive-green) and first and fourth postmedian lines farther apart.
"Forewing underside similar to Xylophanes aristor but brown; basal area dark brown grey and less extensive, so that first postmedian line remains visible to the inner margin; second postmedian line heavier, sinuate and continuous, reaching the inner margin; dark marginal area closer to postmedian area, reaching the third one (represented by vein dots), delineated by a grey line that is toothed between M2 and M3 (as in Xylophanes vagliai) apical area, between costa and Rs4 beyond most distal costal dark spot, shorter, brighter yellow.
"Anal area of hindwing underside bright yellow (whitish in Xylophanes aristor)." CATE
A view of the underside of the forewings greatly helps distinguish kiefferi from other very similar species which often have the entire basal area dark grey to black.
Xylophanes kiefferi male, 77mm; female, 92mm;
verso, Esmeraldas, Ecuador, courtesy of Vadim Kroutov.
Moths emerge approximately one-two months after larvae pupate.
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The pronunciation of scientific names is
troublesome for many. The "suggestions" at the top of the page are
merely suggestions. They are based on commonly
accepted English pronunciation of Greek names and/or some
fairly well accepted "rules" for latinized scientific names.
In some cases I have anglicized the pronunciations as per
more common usage.
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.
"Xylo" is the Greek word for wood. The specimen type for the genus
Xylophanes is Xylophanes anubus. Perhaps ? when Hubner
examined this species, the yellow-orange and brown tones of the
forewings suggested wings of wood.
Jean Marie Cadiou writes, X. kiefferi is named after my good friend Pierre Kieffer, from Metz, France. He is a butterfly enthusiast, and gave me the first known specimen of this species. Suggested pronunciation is 'kee-fer-ai', unless you prefer to describe it as 'kee-fur-ai'."
Jean Marie's "ai" and my "eye" are pronounced the same.