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Syssphinx sp. (maybe S. quadrilineata quadrilineata)
My First Moth for Moth Week 2014. A mustard yellow Silk Moth with pink underwings and legs. This one is a male. The upper wings have stripes ad two white spots on each wing. About 5 cm long. Family Saturniidae.
Came to the lights at the Toll Booth on the Highway to Arriaga, Chiapas on the border of the Sepultura Biosfere Reserve.
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/speci... http://bugguide.net/node/view/95579/bgpa... http://www.silkmoths.bizland.com/ssmonta... http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.ed... http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/galle...
Spotted on Jul 15, 2014
Submitted on Jul 20, 2014
5 Comments
Thank you Bill :)
As Ryan has indicated, it could be a number of different Sphingicampa species. Of the mix, I favour Sphingicampa quadrilineata quadrilineata.
Bill Oehlke
Sphingicampa sp. is fine. S. quadrilineata has a very wide range in morphology (not only in coloration, but even wing shape) and this complex of species, which includes S. montana, S. quadrilineata, S. pescadori, and S. malinalcoensis (among others) is rather poorly understood.
Thank you Ryan. Shall I put Sphingicampa sp. or S. quadrilineata? The quadrilineata on the internet is more red than yellow.
Sphingicampa montana is a more northern species. This is something near S. quadrilineata, though I admit there are a number of very similar species in Mexico, and a genitalia dissection is preferable for accurate identification.