Proserpinus juanita male, Missouri, courtesy of Mike van Buskirk.

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 Subfamily: Macroglossinae, Harris, 1839 Tribe: Macroglossini, Harris, 1839 Genus: Proserpinus Hubner, [1819] ........... Species: juanita Strecker, [1877]

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DISTRIBUTION:

The Juanita sphinx, Proserpinus juanita (Wing span: 1 3/4 - 2 1/2 inches (4.5 - 6.4 cm)), flies at forest edges and in prairie valleys and hills, and weedy roadsides from North Dakota and Wyoming south to Arizona, east to Missouri and Texas. It is also recorded in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba in Canada.

Proserpinus juanita male, Missouri, courtesy of Mike van Buskirk.

The upperside of the forewing is pale gray-green with a deep green-brown median area and a white dash at the wing tip. The underside of the forewing is pale orange at the base. The upperside of the hindwing is bright orange-red with a black border. The underside is green to olive green.

Proserpinus juanita, Hebron, Morton Co., North Dakota, June 6, 1931,
E. Krauth, courtesy of Gerald Fauskes. Minor wingscale replacement by Bill Oehlke

FLIGHT TIMES:

Proserpinus juanita adults fly as two broods from April-August. Adults fly during the afternoon, nectaring from flowers including dame's-rocket and a white-flowered thistle. Occasionally adults rest inside deep-throated flowers.

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.

EGGS, LARVAE, PUPAE:

Eggs hatch about 10 days after the female deposits them on the host plant, and the newly-hatched caterpillars eat their eggshells. Larvae feed on (Onagraceae) including evening primrose (Oenothera), gaura (Gaura), and willow weed (Epilobium). Michael Van Buskirk has found them on Guara biennis in Missouri.

Stephen Winter reports them on Stenosiphon linifolius in eastern Kansas.

Proserpinus juanita fifth instar, Konza Prairie, Manhattan, Riley County, Kansas,
feeding on Stenosiphon linifolius, August 9, 2011, courtesy of Stephen Winter.

Proserpinus juanita fifth instar, Konza Prairie, Manhattan, Riley County, Kansas,
feeding on Stenosiphon linifolius, August 9, 2011, courtesy of Stephen Winter.

Mature larvae pupate and overwinter in shallow underground burrows.

Proserpinus juanita fourth instar, Missouri, courtesy/copyright Michael Van Buskirk

Proserpinus juanita fourth instar, Missouri, courtesy/copyright Michael Van Buskirk

Proserpinus juanita fifth instar, Missouri, courtesy/copyright Michael Van Buskirk

Proserpinus juanita fifth instar, Missouri, courtesy/copyright Michael Van Buskirk

Proserpinus juanita fifth instar, Missouri, courtesy/copyright Michael Van Buskirk

Michael writes, "Larvae were photographed August 5th, 2007 near Park Hills, Missouri, along a roadside, and the hostplant is Gaura biennis."

Proserpinus juanita, Casper, Natrona County, Wyoming,
July 23, 2009, courtesy of Dwaine Wagoner.

Proserpinus juanita, Casper, Natrona County, Wyoming,
July 23, 2009, courtesy of Dwaine Wagoner.

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Proserpinus juanita courtesy of Paul Opler.

Proserpinus juanita, Mexico, courtesy of Manuel Balcazar-Lara.