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Project Noah Nature School
Xylophanes pluto
Olive green Sphinx Moth with gold undersides. The lower wings were banded with orange and black. About 5 cm long. Family Sphingidae. The last 4 pictures were taken on 24 August 2014.
Came to the parking lights of a shopping center on the outskirts of San Cristobal de Las Casas, 2,200 meters.
This moth is usually reported from lowland tropical areas, this one was at 2,200 meters in the mountains. Something worth noting, since it may also occur at higher elevations. http://www.silkmoths.bizland.com/xpluto.... http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/speci... http://www.silkmoths.bizland.com/Xylopha... http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?searc...
Thank you bayucca, that is very interesting and corroborates that this species is not just a lowland occurance.
Thank you e.drinnon for your help. We also have the Streaked Sphinx (Protambulyx strigilis) here in San Cristobal. .
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/154...
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/121...
Thank you bayucca. I hadn't found it yet. I am surprised at the finding of this species at such a high elevation. Although they are strong fliers and vertically, only about 40 km separate San Cristobal from Tuxtla, which is at 300 meters.
Sphingidae, Macroglossinae, Macroglossini, Xylophanes pluto.
http://lepcurious.blogspot.ch/2013/08/pl...
http://bugguide.net/node/view/322057
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/speci...
http://www.silkmoths.bizland.com/Xylopha...
http://bugguide.net/node/view/6728
Spotted on Jul 20, 2014
Submitted on Jul 21, 2014
