Costa Rica Sphingini:
Agrius, Amphimoea, Neococytius, Lintneria,
Cocytius, Amphonyx, Morcocytius, Pseudococytius

This tentative checklist will become more accurate as images and information are sent to me. If you would like to assist in the development of this worldwide Sphingidae data/image base, please send info and images to Bill Oehlke.

I have arranged the images in accordance with my perception of wing characters: predominent markings, shape, colour, size.

Females often have a wing shape or pattern that differs from the males. I hope some day to also have a thumbnail checklist for the females.

This page is inspired by the photographic efforts of Gernot Kunz. Gernot has photographed live moths from many locations in Costa Rica. Places he has visited over the last many years now appear on the Costa Rica map. You will find many of his photographs on the various species files.

Agrius, Amphimoea, Dolbogene, Lintneria, Neococytius Agrius cingulata, Sierra Talamanca, Mirador de Quetzales, San Jose, Costa Rica, May 17, 2006, 2705m, courtesy of Gernot Kunz Agrius cingulata * Distinctive thoracic pattern Lateral abdominal patches deep pink; occasionally off-white: form "decolora" Black upper halves of am and pm lines and two thin black streaks below cell delineate a slightly darker grey-brown subtrapezoidal area. Considerable whitish scaling tracing outer pm line from costa to inner margin Sbtrmnl area: three sub-rectangular markings from middle toward anal angle. Lintneria merops * Thorax: prominent bands: lateral & mesial edges black with reddish brown interior Abdomen with prominent alternating black and off-white bands broken by grey brown longitudinal midline Forewing with series of often irregular, incomplete transverse lines & streaks on pale brownish-buff ground colour; darker brown from below cell to subterminal area. Lintneria merops judsoni: I am pretty sure this subspecies has been equated with Lintneria merops. Lintneria biolleyi ? extinct in Costa Rica ? Amphimoea walkeri * Distinct abdominal pattern of longitudinal yellow and black lines Forewing ground colour yellowish-buff with prominent darker markings; two bars emanating below cell, widen diffusely (often maroon) to pm lines Hindwing discal area semi-transparent Dolbogene igualana This is a relativley small dry forest species whose forewings have a suerficial similarity to Agrius cingulata with regard to dark streaks under the forewing cell mark and overall patterning. It may be limited to Guanacaste in Costa Rica. Neococytius cluentius * Abdomen with six large lateral yellow marks, surrounded by black on each side Forewing dark charcoal grey with very prominent wide orangey-buff band along inner margin, and another similar wide band from the cell to the outer margin

Cocytius, Amphonyx, Morcocytius, Pseudococytius The Cocytius genus has recently been divided into several new genera. The moths listed below were previously all considered Cocytius species. Cocytius macasensis is now considered a junior synonym of Amphonyx lucifer. Amphonyx lucifer, Tiskita Lodge, Puntarenas, Costa Rica, July 11, 2008, 65m, courtesy of Gernot Kunz Cocytius antaeus * Fw upperside semitransparent posterior to vein CuA1; black dash here consequently more or less obliterated; dash posterior to vein M3 heavier, buffish white subbasal line separated into costal, more distal disco-cellular, and posterior part, differing from Amphonyx duponchel in that posterior part is more distal, at right-angles to cubital vein and more distal than costal part; the reverse is true in Amphonyx duponchel; postdiscal line more curved than in Amphonyx duponchel. Both wings undersides often with conspicuous ochre-yellow wash. Hindwing upperside with transparent spaces long, that posterior to vein M1 obviously longer than the brown wing border is broad; these spaces incised distally as the border is dentate between veins; a semitransparent patch that posterior to vein CuA2 anteriorly. Amphonyx duponchel * Two thin dark streaks from upper thorax to mid thorax where they expand into teardrops. Forewing upperside with black discal dashes between veins M3 and CuA2 not prominent; discal spot transverse, kidney-shaped, dirty white. Hindwing upperside with translucent patch posterior to vein M1 shorter than the black marginal band is broad at vein M1 Amphonyx lucifer * Thorax: black markings prominent against greyish green. Abdomen: mesial line usually prominent, sometimes faint or widely interrupted. Ground colour varies from walnut shell, yellowish-brown to greenish-grey. Two narrow, distinct dark streaks posterior to veins M3 and CuA1. Morcocytius mortuorum ?? Dull orange band across upper abdomen at junction with thorax. Three small yellow-orange dots between each abdominal segment, Note strong presence of white scales in antemedial line. Forewings lack streaks or bars; UNCONFIRMED Pseudococytius beelzebuth * More orangey-brown shading on forewing than in other species in this group. Strong presence of black diagonal line from costa to cell. Line, interrupted by cell, continues as thicker, shorter black bar, parallel to inner margin. Black, much thinner streak often interrupted above bar. Use your browser "Back" button to return to the previous page. Visit Sphingini: Manduca You are here: Sphingini: Agrius, Amphimoea, Amphonyx, Cocytius, Pseudococytius, Lintneria, Morcocytius, Neococytius Visit Smerinthini: Adhemarius, Orecta and Protambulyx Visit Dilophonotini: Aleuron, Enyo, Pachygonidia and Unzela Visit Dilophonotini: Aellopos, Eupyrrhoglossum, Nyceryx and Perigonia Visit Dilophonotini: Callionima, Erinnyis, Hemeroplanes, Isognathus, Madoryx, Oryba, Pachylia, Pachylioides, Phryxus and Pseudosphinx Visit Philampelini: Eumorpha Visit Macroglossini: Hyles and Xylophanes