DISTRIBUTION:

Manduca stuarti flies in
Bolivia (specimen type locality): La Paz: Murillo, Cota Cota and Río Zongo; and in
north western Argentina: Jujuy, Salta, Tucuman.

The species is named for Arthur Maxwell Stuart.

CATE: "Distinct in pattern and structure from Manduca species. Discocellular veins of hindwing straight, or m1-m2 faintly curved, not or slightly oblique; m1-m2 at right angles to vein Rs, with the lower angle of the discal cell obtuse; M1 quite long stalked with RS.

"Frons grey, almost lavender colour contrasting strongly with the yellowish cream palpi, which are deep black at the dorsal margin; the 2nd palpal segment slender, with scaling a little shorter than on the 1st. Eyes comparatively smaller than in Manduca sexta.

"Foretarsus with very long, strong spines; 1st segment shorter than tibia, with 3 long and 4 shorter, basal, spines, with no small spines externally; segments 2-4 each with a single, long apical spine externally.Mid- and hindtarsi short, with their 1st and 2nd segments as long as their respective tibiae. No pulvillus. Abdomen underside with no lateral, yellow patch on segment 2, but intensely coloured patches present on the more distal segments; spines at edges of tergites weak; no spines on the sternites."

FLIGHT TIMES:

Manduca stuarti adults are on the wing in October-November-December.

Both males and females come to lights.

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 take nectar from flowers.

EGGS, LARVAE, PUPAE:

Larvae feed on

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