Pachygonidia drucei
Encyclopedia
Pachygonidia drucei is a moth
of the Sphingidae
family. It is found from Panama
and Costa Rica
north to Guatemala
, Belize
and Mexico
.
The wingspan
is 72-82 mm. The forewings are similar to those of Pachygonidia hopfferi
, but the apex is pointed. Furthermore, there is a larger discal spot on the forewing upperside, the clayish patch below the apex is much more distinct and the whitish tornal scaling is more obvious. There are three median transverse rose-pinkish bands on the hindwing upperside.
There are probably multiple generations per year with one record from June in Panama.
The larvae have been recorded feeding on Doliocarpus dentatus, Doliocarpus multiflorus and Tetracera hydrophila. They are long, thin and green in the early instars, with a long, straight horn.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Sphingidae
Sphingidae
Sphingidae is a family of moths , commonly known as hawk moths, sphinx moths and hornworms, that includes about 1,200 species . It is best represented in the tropics but there are species in every region . They are moderate to large in size and are distinguished among moths for their rapid,...
family. It is found from Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
and Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
north to Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 72-82 mm. The forewings are similar to those of Pachygonidia hopfferi
Pachygonidia hopfferi
Pachygonidia hopfferi is a moth of the Sphingidae family. It is known from Panama and Costa Rica and has been recorded as far south as Bolivia....
, but the apex is pointed. Furthermore, there is a larger discal spot on the forewing upperside, the clayish patch below the apex is much more distinct and the whitish tornal scaling is more obvious. There are three median transverse rose-pinkish bands on the hindwing upperside.
There are probably multiple generations per year with one record from June in Panama.
The larvae have been recorded feeding on Doliocarpus dentatus, Doliocarpus multiflorus and Tetracera hydrophila. They are long, thin and green in the early instars, with a long, straight horn.