Cocytius duponchel

Updated as per Fauna Entomologica De Nicarauga, November 2007
Updated as per personal communication with Jose Monzon (Guatemala); May 2009
Updated as per Sphingidae (Lepidoptera) de Venezuela, Compilado por: María Esperanza Chacín; December 2009
Updated as per More, Kitching and Cocucci's Hawkmoths of Argentina 2005, December 2009
Updated as per French Guiana Sphingidae; March 9, 2011
Updated as per CATE Sphingidae; April 21, 2011
Updated as per personal communication with Andres Urbas (Camp Caiman, near Kaw, French Guiana, April 1, 2011); May 7, 2011
Updated as per personal communication with Humberto Calero Mejia (Parque Nacional Natural Gorgona, Cauca, Colombia, May 31, 2011); November 19, 2011
Updated as per personal communication with Gregory Nielsen (Villavicencio, Meta, Colombia, January 10, 2012, 500m); February 14, 2012
Updated as per personal communication with Johan van't Bosch (Stoelmanseiland, Sipaliwini District, Suriname, July 22, 2011); November 21, 2012
Updated as per personal communication with Hubert Mayer (Rio Hollin, Tena, Napo, Ecuador; La Union del Toachi, Pichincha, Ecuador); June 3, 2014
Updated as per personal communication with Sergio D. Ríos Díaz in CATÁLOGO DE LOS SPHINGIDAE (INSECTA: LEPIDOPTERA) DEPOSITADOS EN EL MUSEO NACIONAL DE HISTORIA NATURAL DEL PARAGUAY; sent to me in July 2014 by Sergio D. Ríos Díaz.

DISTRIBUTION:

Duponchel's Sphinx, Amphonyx duponchel (Wing span: 4 5/16 - 5 7/8 inches (11 - 15 cm), males much smaller than females)], flies in tropical and subtropical lowlands in
Cuba, the specimen type locality; and generally from
southern Brazil: Minas Gerais; and
Bolivia: Santa Cruz;
Paraguay: San Pedro; Canindeyu;
Argentina: Tucuman; north to
Venezuela: Amazonas, Apure, Aragua, Bolivar, Cojedes, Falcon, Guarico, Tachira, Yaracuy;
Suriname: Sipaliwini District: Stoelmanveiland;
French Guiana: Kaw;
probably ?? Guyana ??;
Colombia: Cauca: Parque Nacional Natural Gorgona (HCM); Meta: Villavicencio, 500m (GN); and
Ecuador: Yasuni; Napo (HM); Pichincha (HM)
Mexico;
Belize; Corozol, Cayo, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo;
Guatemala: Izabal (JM);
Honduras;
Nicaragua: Granada, Chontales, Zelaya, Rio San Juan;
Costa Rica: Puntarenas, Guanacaste, Alajuela, Lemon, Heredia, Carthage, San Jose; and the West Indies. It is rare in Florida and Texas.

Amphonyx duponchel male, Rio Hollin, Napo, Ecuador,
December 6, 2002, courtesy of Hubert Mayer.

Amphonyx duponchel female, La Union del Toachi, Pichincha, Ecuador,
November 16, 1988, courtesy of Hubert Mayer.

CATE: "Forewing upperside with black discal dashes between veins M3 and CuA2 not prominent; discal spot transverse, kidney-shaped, dirty white. Hindwing upperside with translucent patch posterior to vein M1 shorter than the black marginal band is broad at vein M1."

The upperside of the forewing is dark gray with a blue tint. The yellow patch in the hindwing is deeply divided, and the transparent area, ending sharply at the black margin, is smaller than that of antaeus. The male has very large claspers.
This picture was taken on September 6, 2002 - 9:32 PM in Yasuni, Ecuador, by Steve Graser.
Robert Lehman confirms them in Honduras.

They are also taken in Bolivia: Santa Cruz: Florida, Mataral; Ichilo, Buena Vista; La Víbora; Beni: José Ballivián, Espíritu; Río Andacuma; La Paz: Murillo, Zongo Cuticucho; La Paz: La Paz, 11000'; Larecaja, San Agustín, Mapiri, 3500'; Murillo, Río Zongo, 750m; Santa Cruz: Ichilo, Buena Vista, 750m; and in
Argentina: Tucuman.

Amphonyx duponchel, Brasil, Poté, Minas Gerais, November 11, 2004,
courtesy of Frederik Goussey, possibly Amphonyx rivularis.

This species was originally described as Amphonyx duponchel, but was reclassified as a Cocytius species, and probably will be listed as Cocytius duponchel for some time. Recently Amphonyx has been resurrected as a genus due to significant differences in genitalia between Cocytius and Amphonyx species.

Amphonyx duponchel, Parque Nacional Natural Gorgona, Cauca, Colombia,
140mm, May 31, 2011, courtesy of Humberto Calero Mejia,
Evaluación del estado actual de los objetos de conservación faunísticos en Isla Gorgona:
una aproximación holística a la valoración ecológica de Parque Nacional Natural Gorgona.

Amphonyx duponchel (verso), Parque Nacional Natural Gorgona, Cauca, Colombia,
140mm, May 31, 2011, courtesy of Humberto Calero Mejia,
Evaluación del estado actual de los objetos de conservación faunísticos en Isla Gorgona:
una aproximación holística a la valoración ecológica de Parque Nacional Natural Gorgona.

Amphonyx duponchel male, Villavicenciom Meta, Colombia,
forewing length = 53mm, January 10, 2012, 500m,
courtesy of Gregory Nielsen, id by Bill Oehlke.

Amphonyx duponchel male (verso), Villavicenciom Meta, Colombia,
forewing length = 53mm, January 10, 2012, 500m,
courtesy of Gregory Nielsen, id by Bill Oehlke.

Gregory Nielsen noted the especially large claspers on the male depicted above from Villavicencio, Meta, Colombia.

FLIGHT TIMES:

Amphonyx duponchel adults nectar at flowers and brood continuously.

Amphonyx duponchel, Stoelmanseiland, Sipaliwini District, Suriname,
July 22, 2011, courtesy of Johan van't Bosch.

In Bolivia there are records for March-April and June-July-August-September-October-November-December.

There are November records for French Guiana.

Humberto Calero Mejia reports a May 31, 2011, flight in PNN Gorgona, Cauca, Colombia; Gregory Nielsen reports a January flight in Meta, Colombia.

Both males and females come to lights. Andres Urbas reports an April 1, 2011, flight near Kaw, French Guiana.

Amphonyx duponchel, Camp Caiman, near Kaw, French Guiana,
April 1, 2011, courtesy of Andres Urbas.

ECLOSION:

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

Amphonyx duponchel female from Costa Rica, courtesy of Dan Janzen.

SCENTING AND MATING:
Females call in the males with a pheromone released from a gland at the tip of the abdomen.
The females seem to have much more white on the forewings as compared to the males.
The image to the right was taken in Yasuni, Ecuador, September 7, 2002, at 2:20 AM by Steve Graser.

EGGS, LARVAE, PUPAE:

Colourful larvae (not hairy, white posterior slash that fades into bluish, 1-2 white posterior costal slashes, maroon line down center of apple green back, 13.2 g as large last instar) feed on Guatteria diospyroides, Annona purpurea, Annona reticulata, Xylopia frutescens and Custard apple (Annona glabra) and probably other members of the Annonaceae family.

Moths emerge from pupae in as few as 21 days from pupation.

Larvae are subject to parasitization from Leschenaultia sp. 12 of the Tachinidae family.

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Amphonyx duponchel
am-FOH-nicksMdew-PON-shel
Duponchel's Sphinx
Poey, 1832

TAXONOMY:

Family: Sphingidae, Latreille, 1802
Subfamily: Sphinginae, Latreille, [1802]
Tribe: Sphingini, Latreille, 1802
Genus: Amphonyx Poey, 1832 ...........
Species: duponchel (Poey, 1832)

MIDI MUSIC

.....It's a Wonderful World.....
copyright C. Odenkirk

ON.OFF

ON.OFF

DISTRIBUTION:

FLIGHT TIMES:

ECLOSION:

Amphonyx duponchel female from Costa Rica, courtesy of Dan Janzen.

SCENTING AND MATING:

Females call in the males with a pheromone released from a gland at the tip of the abdomen.
The females seem to have much more white on the forewings as compared to the males.
The image to the right was taken in Yasuni, Ecuador, September 7, 2002, at 2:20 AM by Steve Graser.

EGGS, LARVAE, PUPAE:

Moths emerge from pupae in as few as 21 days from pupation.

Amphonyx duponchel am-FOH-nicksMdew-PON-shel Duponchel's Sphinx Poey, 1832

TAXONOMY:

Family: Sphingidae, Latreille, 1802 Subfamily: Sphinginae, Latreille, [1802] Tribe: Sphingini, Latreille, 1802 Genus: Amphonyx Poey, 1832 ........... Species: duponchel (Poey, 1832)

MIDI MUSIC

.....It's a Wonderful World..... copyright C. Odenkirk ON.OFF <bgsound src="world.mid" LOOP=FOREVER>

ON.OFF <bgsound src="world.mid" LOOP=FOREVER>

DISTRIBUTION:

FLIGHT TIMES:

ECLOSION:

Amphonyx duponchel female from Costa Rica, courtesy of Dan Janzen.

SCENTING AND MATING:

Females call in the males with a pheromone released from a gland at the tip of the abdomen. The females seem to have much more white on the forewings as compared to the males. The image to the right was taken in Yasuni, Ecuador, September 7, 2002, at 2:20 AM by Steve Graser.

EGGS, LARVAE, PUPAE:

Moths emerge from pupae in as few as 21 days from pupation.

Amphonyx duponchel
am-FOH-nicksMdew-PON-shel
Duponchel's Sphinx
Poey, 1832

Family: Sphingidae, Latreille, 1802
Subfamily: Sphinginae, Latreille, [1802]
Tribe: Sphingini, Latreille, 1802
Genus: Amphonyx Poey, 1832 ...........
Species: duponchel (Poey, 1832)

.....It's a Wonderful World.....
copyright C. Odenkirk

ON.OFF

ON.OFF

Females call in the males with a pheromone released from a gland at the tip of the abdomen.
The females seem to have much more white on the forewings as compared to the males.
The image to the right was taken in Yasuni, Ecuador, September 7, 2002, at 2:20 AM by Steve Graser.