Biology:Cautethia grotei

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Short description: Species of moth

Grote's sphinx
Cautethia grotei MHNT CUT 2010 0 254 Florida City, Florida, male dorsal.jpg
Male dorsal
Cautethia grotei MHNT CUT 2010 0 254 Florida City, Florida, male ventral.jpg
Male ventral
Scientific classification edit
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Sphingidae
Genus: Cautethia
Species:
C. grotei
Binomial name
Cautethia grotei
H. Edwards, 1882[1]

Cautethia grotei, or Grote's sphinx, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It was described by Henry Edwards in 1882.

Distribution

It resides in the US state of Florida and the islands of the Caribbean.

Description

The wingspan is 28–40 mm.

Biology

There are multiple generations per year in Florida. Adults nectar at various flowers, including Asystasia gangetica and Dracaena fragrans.

Host plants

Larvae have been recorded feeding on various Rubiaceae species, including milkberry (Chiococca alba), black torch (Erithalis fruticosa) and common snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus).

Subspecies

  • Cautethia grotei grotei (Florida, Cuba, the Bahamas, Cayman Islands and possibly Hispaniola and Jamaica. Strays have been found up to Tennessee, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York and even New Hampshire)[2]
  • Cautethia grotei apira Jordan, 1940 (Cayman Islands)[3]
  • Cautethia grotei hilaris Jordan, 1940 (Cayman Islands)[4]

References

External links

Wikidata ☰ Q142419 entry