Gregory Nielsen of Meta, Colombia, has begun (February 2011) to send me excellent digital images of spread Sphingidae from his home in Colombia. He also provides excellent data which will enhance knowledge of flight times and document presences in Colombia.

Hemeroplanes triptolemus, Km 13 via Acacias, Villavicencio, Meta, Colombia, 500m,
04°03’55.0 N 073°41’87.0 W, January 19, 2011, lfw=38mm, courtesy of Gregory Nielsen.

Gregory's submissions have inspired me to refine descriptions of various species. I have looked up descriptions posted on CATE (excellent) website, and have added my own observations for most of the images that he has sent.

The yellow bands of the abdomen upperside extend across the entire width of the segments. The forewing upperside has little or no greenish-yellow scaling. The silver mark is 4-5 mm long, and it is basally forked. CATE.

Of the four Hemeroplanes species, H. diffusa is the only one that does not have the silver streak basally forked; Hemeroplanes longistriga is the only one with elongated extensions of the silver streak; Hemeroplanes ornatus has yellow abodminal bands that are retricted (but always clearly visible) and do not cross the entire abdomen, while same yellow bands extend dorsally across entire segments in triptolemus.

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