Updated as per The Hawk Moths of the North America, 2007, James P. Tuttle (Sphinx to Lintneria); April 2009
Updated as per personal communication with Jose Monzon (Guatemala); May 2009
Updated as per CATE Sphingidae, December 22, 2009

Lintneria praelongus
(Rothschild & Jordan, 1903)

Lintneria praelongus, on my home computer only.

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: Sphinginae, Latreille, 1802
Tribe: Sphingini, Latreille, 1802
Genus: Lintneria Butler, 1876 ...........
Species: praelongus (Rothschild & Jordan, 1903)

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DISTRIBUTION:

Lintneria praelongus (Wing span: ) flies in Honduras; Guatemala JM; Mexico: Chiapas: Municipio Oxchuc.

Lintneria praelongus is very much like Lintneria istar. It is more greyish white, however, and the two black streaks of the mesothoracic tegula are clearly separated by a grey space. The forewing is more elongate, nearer in shape to that of Sphinx lanceolata. The forewing discal cell has a black apical streak. The intervenosa [CuP] is marked with a white dash distal to the double antemedian line. (CATE)

In his The Hawk Moths of North America, 2007, James P. Tuttle has assigned all the Sphinx genus species from Mexico south throughout South American to Lintneria, Butler, 1876, based on consistent differences in wing characters and significant larval differences.

FLIGHT TIMES:

Lintneria praelongus adults fly in August in southern Mexico. There are probably additional flight months.

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 nectar at a variety of flowers.

EGGS, LARVAE, PUPAE:

Please visit my special request for images of Lintneria species larvae at Lintneria larvae, and help if you can.

It is anticipated that the Lintneria larvae will most often be encountered on Lamiaceae: Salvia (Sage), Mentha (Mints), Monarda (Beebalm) and Hyptis (Bushmints); Verbenaceae: Verbena and Lantana camara (shrub verbenas or lantanas).

Although they may be encountered feeding during daylight hours, one is even more likely to discover them feeding in the evening or after dark.

Two of the greatest clues for discovering larvae are stripped foliage and droppings beneath the plant. You might be quite surprised at what will turn up in the evening or after dark in a flashlight assisted search.

It is believed that all "Lintneria larvae will exhibit "a fleshy thoracic dorsal "horn" in the first 4 instars (unique in the Sphingidae of the world to my knowledge) which is replaced by a thoracic dorsal "hump" with a large black patch in the 5th instar." J.A. Tuttle.

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