DISTRIBUTION:

Eumorpha cissi flies in
Venezuela (specimen type locality), and south to
Ecuador: Morona-Santiago: Macas (CATE);
Peru: (Cusco: San Pedro (AS)); Puno: Carabaya: S. Domingo;
Bolivia: La Paz, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz; and
northwestern Argentina: Jujuy; Salta?. I suspect it is also in eastern Colombia: Magdalena (confirmed JJ) and western Brazil: ?? Amazonas, Acre ??.

Mario Hec provides the following two images from the Santa Marta Mountains, Colombia. Ids are confirmed by Jean Haxaire.

Eumorpha cissi, Santa Marta Mountains, Colombia,
February 10, 2019, courtesy of Mario Hec, id by Jean Haxaire.

Eumorpha cissi, Santa Marta Mountains, Colombia,
February 10, 2019, courtesy of Mario Hec, id by Jean Haxaire.

Eumorpha cissi, Paradise Lodge, San Pedro, Cusco, Peru,
July, 2010, courtesy of Attila Steiner, tentative id by Bill Oehlke

Eumorpha cissi is very similar to E. anchemolus, but cissi ground colour is dark greenish-grey while anchemolus is brown. Cissi also has a more falcate apex, compared to anchemolus.

The triangular dorsal patches on the abdomen, just below the thorax, are less consticted than in anchemolus.

The pattern of transverse lines and bands on the forewing outer half are stronger than in anchemolus.

Cissi also lacks the strongly contrasting white fringe extending (in anchemolus) from the body to slightly past the dark rhombiform region. In cissi, the fringe is more buff and does not extend as far.

Also look for two well defined zigzag lines in the pale area along the inner margin between the dark rhombiform region and the anal angle. (CATE)

Note grey hairs on center of upper abdominal segments.

Eumorpha cissi Reserva Natural El Dorado, Santa Marta, Magdalena, Colombia,
March 13, 2011, 1950m, courtesy of Joakim Johansson.

The genus name "Eumorpha" means well-formed.

"Cissi" may come from grape (Cissus).

The pronunciation of scientific names is troublesome for many. The "suggestion" at the top of the page is merely a suggestion. It is based on commonly accepted English pronunciation of Greek names and/or some fairly well accepted "rules" for latinized scientific names.

The suggested pronunciations, on this page and on other pages, are primarily put forward to assist those who hear with internal ears as they read.

There are many collectors from different countries whose intonations and accents would be different.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Eumorpha cissi adults are on the wing in February-March and October-November in Bolivia, and posibly at other times. Images have come from Colombia in February and March.

Eumorpha cissi larvae probably feed upon species of grape and other related vines.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Pupae wiggle to surface just prior to eclosion. Females call at night, and males fly into the wind to pick up and track the pheromone plume.

EGGS, LARVAE AND PUPAE:

Larval Food Plants

Listed below are primary food plant(s) and alternate food plants. It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the foodplant will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

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Eumorpha cissi, Macas, Morona-Santiago, Ecuador,
CATE, on my home computer only.

Pronotum and labial palp segment 1 with white spots absent or vestigial. Upperside of tibiae not white. a diffuse dark band between M1 and CuA1 (represented by vein dots in Eumorpha anchemolus); Forewing underside with distal margin similar to Eumorpha anchemolus but rather broader posteriorly.

Eumorpha cissi, Bolivia, on my home computer only.