Smerinthini thumbnails

French Guiana Dilophonotini:

Callionima, Erinnyis, Hemeroplanes, Isognathus, Madoryx, Oryba, Pachylia, Pachylioides, Phryxus, Pseudosphinx

This 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.

Oryba kadeni, near Kaw Mountains, French Guiana,
April 8, 2011, courtesy of Andres Urbas.

Many thanks to Andres Urbas for the manmy beautiful images he has provided, along with data, for French Guiana.

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.

Callionima


Callionima falcifera
White apical line slightly concave, outwardly traced with black
Pale, preapical, coastal patch well developed, internal "webbing" distinct


Callionima p. parce
Apex pointed
White apical line slightly concave, outwardly traced in black, expanding at M1 into pale patch, curving back up outer edge of line towards apex.
Pale, preapical, coastal patch less pronounced, darker in lower half,
internal "webbing" indistinct

Callionima inuus

White apical line very oblique, pointing toward midpoint of inner margin
Pale, preapical, coastal patch well developed, internal "webbing" distinct


Callionima pan pan
Apex not pointed, more rounded.
White apical line slightly concave, outwardly traced in black, expanding at M1 into pale patch, curving back up outer edge of line towards apex.
Pale, preapical, coastal patch reduced, internal "webbing" indistinct


Callionima nomius
White apical line completes full, shallow arc below midpoint of outer margin.
Lacks pale, preapical, coastal patch
Pale triangular patch above cell elongated on costa
Rest of forewing primarily dark brown

















Erinnyis

Only alope has yellow hindwings;
Only alope, ello and lassauxii have barred abdomens;
Domingonis might be just a dark form of obscura.
When hindwings and abdomens are visible, they are a great help with determinations.


Erinnyis alope
Fw: dark brown; paler region along i.m. to pml, then oblique to mp of o.m.
Darker near anal angle.
Hw: yellow, wide dark brown border.
Similar to Isognathus species, but has double thoracic crest (single in Isognathus); very dark brown (sometimes almost black) upperside to head, thorax & forewings.


Erinnyis domingonis
CATE 2009 does not recognize domingonis as a valid species, equating it with obscura. On FGS it is still regarded as distinct.
Black, somewhat oblique, center line is masked by overall dark scaling.




Erinnyis lassauxii



Erinnyis crameri
Fw: dark brown; paler region along entire i.m., widening to above mp of o.m.
Pale near anal angle.
Lighter apical, costal patch.
Hw: orange, narrow dentate brown border.
Abdomen without dark bars.




Erinnyis o. obscura
Fw: pale gray with black markings;
prominent narrow black center line, from base to about 3/4ths wing length.
M & F: hw orange, narrow black border.
Female: almost uniform grey forewings with black markings on basal half and near center of costa like E. ello; some females nearly all black.

Erinnyis lassauxii to the left should be immediately recognizable by subtriangular pale patch, peaking slightly before midpoint (body side) of the inner margin.
There is also a pale apical costal area with a noticably straight inner edge.
Otherwise rest of wing is predominently dark.
The dull orange area of the hindwing is greatly reduced.


Erinnyis oenotrus
Fw: dark brown; slightly paler region along i.m. from pm line to outer margin
Dark markings near anal angle.
Lighter apical, costal patch with darker markings.
Hw: dull orange, brown border of intermediate width.
Abdomen without dark bars.



Erinnyis ello ello
Fw: lighter brown and grey compared to other species with diffuse dark band running from wing base to wing tip.
Abdomen: distinct gray and black bands.
M & F hw: orange, wide black border.
Female fw: pale gray without dark band.














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Isognathus

Moths in the first row can be difficult to determine from photos only. But look for the following:
excelsior: whitest, especially in upper 2/3 of pm area; thinner streaks and bars.
occidentalis: darkest, thickest streaks and bars.
menechus: bluish-grey cast; prominent white areas on veins in pm area.

Moths in second row are a bit easier with russet ground colouor:
scyron: no basal dash.
leachii: heaviest dark basal dash; generally heavier dark bars and dashes.
swainsonii: thinner basal dash; biggest difference between leachii and swainsonii expressed in red below.

Caricae in third row is quite distinct. I do not think rimosa papayae is present, but it is quite white.


Isognathus excelsior
Extensive suffusion of whitish scales in upper two-thirds of post median, subterminal, terminal areas of forewings, especially above arc opening toward anal angle.
Distinguished from all other species of Isognathus by pure white underside to abdomen.





Isognathus leachii
Similar to Isognathus swainsonii.
Black, basal strak 2.5 mm broad.
Crossvein m2-m3 pale, distinctly separating small dark brown cell patch from elliptical spot distal to m2-m3.
Black streak between M3, CuA1 heavy, connected with curved patch below CuA2.
Greyish-white scaling sparse, no distinct interrupted grey vein-streaks posteriorly.
Hw: Inner edge of dark brown marginal band distinctly dentate, not constant in width.


Isognathus c. caricae
Fw: two elongated orangey-brown patches connected below cell mark, smaller basal patch along i. m.; otherwise dark grey.
Only Isognathus species with hw dark marginal band replaced by series of black streaks along veins.

Isognathus menechus
Body, fws have bluish-grey cast. Forewing: double antemedian, double postmedian lines, distinct at costa. Pm pair interrupted at M3, then reappear posteriorly, quite concave, forming semicircle opening towards anal angle. Elongate black patch between M3 and CuA1 merges basally with postmedian lines.
Distal white vein-streaks generally conspicuous.


Isognathus swainsonii
Similar to Isognathus leachii.
Lighter with more white scaling.
Black, basal streak thinner in swainsonii.
Dark brown spot at apex of discal cell melded with brown spot outside crossvein m2-m3 in swainsonii.
In leachii there is clear separation of these two dark spots with thin light space.
Hw: dark marginal band uniformly wider, less regularly dentate along veins.





Isognathus rimosa papayae
unlikely in French Guiana






Isonathus occidentalis
Extremely similar to excelsior.
Occidentalis much weaker suffusion of white scales in the outer and upper regions of forewing, black patches in median area darker in occidentalis.
Abdomen: underside brown, not white








Isognathus scyron
Thorax, fws russet-drab-brown.
Outer half of fw: grey vein-streaks, interrupted by black dots. Fw: black dash between M3, CuA1, smaller one between CuA1, CuA2, these dashes situated in pale russet area, not clearly defined though obvious, being most distinct between M1, M3.
Female's fw lacks black dashes. Underside of abdomen dirty white or slightly buff, faintly speckled with russet scales.


















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Hemeroplanes


Hemeropl. ornatus *


H. triptolemus
Triptolemus: abdominal yellow bands extend across entire width of segments. Fw: little or no greenish-yellow scaling. Silver mark: 4-5 mm long, basally forked.

Ornatus: yellow abodminal bands that are retricted, do not cross entire abdomen. Silver mark: forked, much shorter than H. triptolemus.

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Madoryx


Madoryx b. bubastus
Upperside of body and wings olive-brown.
Forewing apex is truncate.
Upper silver discal spot: small, rounded or ovate.
Lower silver spot irregularly triangular, with upper inner edge directed towards costa.
Very acute angle formed by two pales lines near end of Rs4, outer line ends at tip of CuA1, inner line ends near i.m. midpoint, enclosing darker area.
Broadly preapical, pale line, emanating from costa, meets pm line at an internal angle slightly less than ninety degrees.
Lower two-thirds of forewing outer margin slightly scalloped

Madoryx o. oiclus
Upperside of body and wings silver-grey. Forewing apex is truncate.
Forewing upperside with a narrow olive-green basal band; the silver discal spots are almost equal in size, in most specimens the upper one is transverse and the lower one more-or-less rounded. Very acute angle formed by two pales lines near end of Rs4, outer line ends at tip of CuA1, inner line ends near i.m. midpoint, enclosing an almost concolorous area.
Broadly preapical, pale line, emanating from costa, meets pm line at an internal angle slightly greater than ninety degrees.
Lower two-thirds of forewing outer margin heavily scalloped

M. p. plutonius
Note the silver, triangular discal patch, capped with a dot in the median area.
Forewing tips are lighter in colour in plutonius and are also broader, not truncated, and are less hooked than in other Madoryx species. The lower portion of the forewing outer margin is quite straight.









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Oryba



Oryba achemenides

Oryba kadeni
The broad, very prominent, black postmedian band on Oryba kadeni makes determination easy.

A similar band or bar occurs on the lower wings, which are not so brightly coloured.

Both species have been taken in the area of Kaw, with significant range extensions outside of French Guiana.

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Pachylia


Pachylia darceta

Pachylia ficus

Pachylia syces syces

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Pachylioides, Phryxus, Pseudosphinx


Pachylio. resumens *

Phryxus caicus *

Pseudosphinx tetrio *

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