Sphingidae of Panama

Although I believe these "tribal" checklists contain only species within Panama, there may be omissions. I have composed this list from what I consider to be valid lists for Nicaragua and Venezuela.

I have added (August 28, 2007) Isognathus leachi based on the following image.

Isognathus leachi, Mogue, Darien, Panama, August 25, 2007,
courtesy of Dr. Arthur Anker, STRI.

If you have corrections to offer, please contact
Bill Oehlke at oehlkew@islandtelecom.com.

Linette Mansberger provides the following image from Panama and asked for id cofirmation. My (Bill Oehlke) comments are below the photo.

Adhemarius species??, Bocas del Toro, Bastimentos Island, Panama,
September, 2012, courtesy of Linette Mansberger

To me (Bill Oehlke) your moth is intermediate between Adhemarius gannascus and Adhemarius daphne and Adhemarius fulvescens. The broad, dark antemedian band extends noticeably onto the costa beyond what would be expected for daphne or fulvescens, but does not continue to the full outer edge of the costa as would be expected in gannascus. The dark comma-shaped mark emanating from the costa near the apex is wider than would be expected for gannascus, and is more typical of what one could expect of daphne or fulvescens. Perhaps it is a natural hybrid, perhaps it is an undescribed species. If I had to pick one of the three species mentioned above, I would say a variant of daphne.

Eumorpha capronnieri, Cerro Chucanti, Darien, Panama,
August 22-24, 2012, courtesy of Albert Thurman.

Many thanks to Albert Thurman who has sent me a list of Panamanian specimens in the Mississippi Entomology Museum. I have indicated the additions to the list with MEM. The entire listing from the museum is available via the following link: Mississippi Entomology Museum.

Many thanks to Tony James who has recently (May 2015) sent me quite a few images with data from Panama: Panama: Gamboa and Radisson.

List of Sphingidae from Panama

Sphingini Agrius cingulata Amphimoea walkeri C. antaeus medor Amph. duponchel Amphonyx lucifer Lintneria merops Manduca albiplaga M. corallina MEM M. dif. tropicalis Manduca florestan Manduca lichenea M. occulta MEM Manduca rustica M. schausi MEM Man. s. paphus N. cluentius MEM

Smerinthini Adhemarius daphne A. dariensis MEM A. fulvescens MEM Adhem. gannascus Adhem. palmeri Adhemarius tigrina A. ypsilon MEM Protam. eurycles Protam. goeldii Protam. strigilis

Dilophonotini Aellopos ceculus Ael. fadus nr MEM Aellopos titan Aleuron carinata Call. calliomenae C. denticul. MEM C. falcifera MEM Callionima inuus Callionima nomius Call. pan MEM Callionima parce Enyo lugubris Enyo ocypete Enyo taedium Erinnyis alope Erinnyis crameri Er. domingonis Erinnyis ello Er. impunctata Erinnyis lassauxii Erinnyis obscura Erinnyis oenotrus Eupyrrhogl. sagra Hemero. ornatus H. triptol. MEM Isognathus caricae Isognathus leachi Isognathus scyron Madoryx bubastus Madoryx oiclus Madoryx plutonius Nyceryx coffaeae Nyceryx ericea Nyc. eximia MEM Nyceryx riscus Nyceryx stuarti Nyceryx tacita Pachygo. drucei Pachy. hopfferi Pachy. martini Pachy. r. ribbei Pachy. subhamata P. darceta MEM Pachylia ficus Pachylia syces Pachylio. resumens Perigonia ilus Perigonia lusca Perigonia stulta Pseudosphinx tetrio Stolid. tachasara Unzela japix MEM

Philampelini Eum. anchemolus Eum. capronnieri Eum. fasciatus Eum. labruscae Eumorpha obliquus Eumorpha phorbas Eumorpha satellitia Eum. triangulum Eumorpha vitis

Macroglossini Hyles lineata Xyl. acrus MEM Xylophanes anubus X. ceratomioides X. chiron nechus Xyl. crotonis Xyl. cthulhu MEM Xyl. germen MEM Xyl. guianensis X. hannem. MEM Xyl. jordani MEM Xyl. letiranti Xyl. libya MEM Xylophanes loelia X. macu. maculator X. neoptolemus Xyl. pistacina Xyl. pluto ERH X. por. continentalis X. staudin. MEM Xylophanes tersa Xylophanes thyelia Xylophanes titana Xylophanes turbata Xyl. tyndarus

Pseudosphinx tetrio, Canal Zone, Panama, courtesy of Russell Bean.

Russell made some interesting observations and writes, "Hi, I found your web page when trying to find which caterpillar was eating a tree on the canal causeway in Panama, I have attached a few photos if you wanted to see them or use them, feel free. The caterpillars are all over the tree. I don’t think it will last long.

"The two things I still don’t know after looking at your web site are 1. Why don’t the birds eat and attack them. I have seen them dead on the floor and the birds still don’t eat them, are they poisonous? 2. Also what does the spike on the back do, is it a sting or just a distraction tactic so there heads don’t get attacked?"

I wrote back, "Thanks for sending pictures. The trees produce a toxic substance which does not harm the caterpillars but is absorbed into their tissues when they feed upon it. The caterpillar then becomes toxic or at least distasteful to birds and other would-be-predators.

The spike at the end is typical of many caterpillars of the Sphingidae family. The spike or anal horn is harmless and might be either a distraction or a perceived threat as you have indicated. There are some caterpillars from other families that have poisonous spines, but not this one.

Generally caterpillars with black, yellow, red colouration carry toxins."

Large numbers of caterpillars can defoliate an entire tree or bush. This usually does not fatally harm the plant provided the defoliation does not happen repeatedly (two or more years in succession).

Pachylia ficus, Canopy Tower, Soberania National Park, Panama, courtesy Jim Swalwell.

Manduca rustica, Gamboa, Panama, November 19th 2006, courtesy Jim Swalwell.

Xylophanes pluto, Canopy Lodge, El Valle de Anton, Panama,
November 2011, courtesy of Elliotte Rusty Harold.

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