Protambulyx strigilis strigilis male courtesy of Dan Janzen.

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TAXONOMY: Family: Sphingidae, Latreille, 1802 Subfamily: Sphinginae, Latreille, 1802 Tribe: Smerinthini, Grote & Robinson, 1865 Genus: Protambulyx Rothschild & Jordan, 1903 ........... Species: strigilis strigilis (Linnaeus, 1771)

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DISTRIBUTION:

The Streaked sphinx, Protambulyx strigilis strigilis (Wing span: 4 1/4 - 5 1/4 inches (10.8 - 13.4 cm)), flies in tropical and subtropical lowlands from Florida and throughout Central America:
Mexico: Quintana Roo (BT) and elsewhere;
Belize: Corozol, Cayo, Stann Creek, Toledo;
Guatemala: Izabal (JM);
Honduras: Cortes, Francisco Morazan;
Nicaragua: Esteli, Matagalpa, Chinandega, Leon, Managua, Masaya, Carazo, Granada, Isla de Ometepe, Rio San Juan;
Costa Rica: Guanacaste, Puntarenas, San Jose, Lemon, Alajuela, Carthage, Heredia;
Panama;
and the West Indies south to
Colombia: Meta (GN);
Ecuador;
Peru: Junin, probably throughout eastern Peru;
Bolivia: Santa Cruz;
Venezuela;
Guyana;
Suriname: Brokopondo District: Brownsberg (JvB);
French Guiana: Kaw;
Brazil: Minas Gerais; southern Maranhao;
Paraguay: Central; Amambay; Canindeyu;
Argentina Salta.

Protambulyx strigilis, Villavicencio, Meta, Colombia,
km 13 via Acacias, 04°03’55.0 N 073°41’87.0 W,
112mm, 500m, 04-iii-2011 leg. G. Nielsen.

The inner margin of the forewing is indented. The upperside of the forewing is pale yellowish gray in the pale form and reddish brown in the dark form. Both forms have a distinct submarginal line and a dark band along the indentation in the inner margin. The upperside of the hindwing of the pale form is deep golden orange with dark bands. The dark form has an orangish brown hindwing. The upperside of the hindwing of both forms has irregular transverse lines, a distinct submarginal line, and a pale outer margin. Image courtesy of Steve Graser.

The very similar "P. carteri" has been equated with strigilis, James P. Tuttle, 2007, based on rearing results.

FLIGHT TIMES:

Protambulyx strigilis strigilis adults fly in March and June-July in Florida, and Carmen Phillips reports a December flight in Broward County, Florida.

In Costa Rica specimens have been recorded for every month of the year, at much smaller frequencies in December and March.

In Bolivia: Santa Cruz (40-750m) it has been recorded from April to August and October to December.

Andres Urbas reports an April 1, 2011, flight of Protambulyx strigilis in Kaw, French Guiana.

Larry Valentine reports an April flight of Protambulyx strigilis in Itanhandu, southeastern Minas Gerais, Brazil. Larry also reports a July 28, 2012 flight in same area.

Peter Bruce-Jones reports a June, 2010 flight of Protambulyx strigilis in Shima, Junin Region, Peru.

Gregory Nielsen reports a March 4, 2011, flight in Villavicencio, Meta, Colombia, where the species is common.

Johan van't Bosch reports a July flight of Protambulyx strigilis in Brownsberg National Park, Brokopondo District, Suriname.

Protambulyx strigilis strigilis, Venice, Florida, March 2005, courtesy of Bonnie J. Caruthers.

Bonnie's mother also provided ths image of the ventral surface of the same moth.

Visit Protambulyx strigilis Broward County, Florida, June 5, 2008, courtesy of Kelli Whitney.

Visit Protambulyx strigilis Broward County, Florida, December 13, 2009, courtesy of Carmen Phillips.

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.

Protambulyx strigilis strigilis female courtesy of Dan Janzen.

EGGS, LARVAE, PUPAE:

Larvae feed on Anacardiaceae, especially Spondias dulcis, Spondias mombin, Spondias purpurea, Spondias cytherea, Astronium graveolens, Anacardium occidentale, Erythroxylon, Comocladia dodonea and Comocladia dentata, all in the cashew family, and on Simarouba glauca and Simarouba amara of the Simaroubaceae family.

Additional food plants are Erythroxylum havanense, Eupatorium villosum, Lycopersicon, and Sambucus australis.

I have also read they feed on Annona muricata in the Annonaceae family. Jim Tuttle indicates this recording would be unusual/questionable.

In Florida larvae have been found on Schinus terebinthefolia.

Later instars hide at the base of a leaf or near the base of the tree's trunk when not feeding (all larvae were found on saplings). Early instar larvae have extremely pointed head capsules and sometimes have difficulty shedding their head capsules.

Protambulyx strigilis fifth instar, green form, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico,
courtesy of Ben Trott.

Protambulyx strigilis fifth instar, blue form, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico,
courtesy of Ben Trott.

Protambulyx strigilis, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico,
courtesy of Ben Trott.

Ben Trott, who has sent the Protambulyx strigilis images directly above, writes, "Protambulyx strigilis (x3) Two colour morphs, feeding on Spondias dulcis. The larvae when disturbed thrash violently from side to side, and regurgitate a sticky dark brown fluid."

Larvae are subject to parasitization by Drino sp. 2 of the Tachinidae family.

Protambulyx strigilis strigilis courtesy of Dan Janzen.

Moths may eclose within fourteen days of pupation.

Protambulyx strigilis strigilis in typical resting pose, September 11, 2002, 12:47 AM,
Yasuni, Ecuador, courtesy of Steve Graser.

Protambulyx strigilis, North Fort Myers, Lee County, Florida,
March 7, 2007, courtesy of Bill Rose, id by Jim Tuttle.

Protambulyx strigilis, North Fort Myers, Lee County, Florida,
March 7, 2007, courtesy of Bill Rose, id by Jim Tuttle.

Bill Rose writes, "I found this guy this morning behind our place of business in North Fort Myers. It was eating Brazilian Pepper leaves which made it an instant favorite of mine. I had no idea what it was, but finally stumbled around the internet and decided it's a Sphinx Moth of some type. I can't find a photo that exactly matches this caterpillar, only similar ones. I have it in an enclosure at home and will feed it and wait to see what it turns into. It measures about 2 1/4" long."

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