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Cocytius antaeus

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Giant sphinx
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Sphingidae
Genus: Cocytius
Species:
C. antaeus
Binomial name
Cocytius antaeus
(Drury, 1773)[1]
Synonyms
  • Sphinx antaeus Drury, 1773
  • Sphinx annonae Shaw, 1802
  • Sphinx hydaspus Cramer, 1777
  • Sphinx iatrophae Fabricius, 1775
  • Sphinx medor Stoll, 1782
  • Amphonyx tapayusa Moore, 1883
  • Cocytius henrici Pinchon, 1969

Cocytius antaeus, the giant sphinx, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Dru Drury in 1773.

Distribution

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It is found from Brazil through Central America and into the southern parts of California,[2] Texas, and Florida in the United States.

Description

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The wingspan is 126–178 mm. Very rare in North America, it was once thought to be the only insect in the continent with a long enough proboscis to pollinate the ghost orchid.

Biology

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The larvae feed on Annona glabra, Annona reticulata, Annona purpurea, Annona holosericea and Rollinia membranacea.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "CATE Creating a Taxonomic eScience - Sphingidae". Cate-sphingidae.org. Archived from the original on 2012-08-02. Retrieved 2011-11-01.
  2. ^ Giant Sphinx in CA
  3. ^ "Silkmoths". Silkmoths.bizland.com. 2011-01-31. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2011-11-01.
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