Cocytius antaeus male from Costa Rica, courtesy of Dan Janzen.

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TAXONOMY: Family: Sphingidae, Latreille, 1802 Subfamily: Sphinginae, Latreille, [1802] Tribe: Sphingini, Latreille, 1802 Genus: Cocytius Hubner, [1819] ........... Species: antaeus (Drury, 1773)

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DISTRIBUTION:

The Giant Sphinx, Cocytius antaeus (Wing span: 5 - 7 inches (12.6 - 17.8 cm, males much smaller than females)], flies in tropical and subtropical lowlands in Jamaica, the specimen type locality, and is resident in Florida and tropical America south to Brazil. The moth is rare in South Texas, but occasionally strays as far north as Chicago. There is also documentation from the Galapagos Islands.

The upperside of the forewing is a blurry yellowish gray. The upperside of the hindwing is dark gray with yellow at the base and a dark "tooth" projecting from the margin into the translucent area between each vein.

Cocytius antaeus medor flies in Belize: Corozol, Cayo, Stann Creek, Toledo;
Guatemala;
Nicaragua: Leon, Managua, Granada, probably Carazo, Mayasa, Rivas;
Costa Rica: Guanacaste, Lemon, Heredia, Puntarenas, Alajuela, San Jose, Carthage.

This species ranges as far south as Bolivia: Santa Cruz: Andrés Ibáñez, Terebinto; Ichilo, La Víbora; La Paz: Murillo, Río Zongo, 750m; Santa Cruz: Sarah, 450m. Ezequiel Nunez Bustos confirms this species in Argentina: Misiones.

Cocytius antaeus, male, courtesy of Hubert Mayer

FLIGHT TIMES:

Cocytius antaeus adults nectar at flowers and fly in several broods throughout the year in south Florida. In Costa Rica there are records for adults all months of the year except March and October.

In Bolivia specimens have been taken in March, October and December.

ECLOSION:

Pupae probably wiggle to surface from subterranean chambers just prior to eclosion.

Cocytius antaeus female from Costa Rica, courtesy of Dan Janzen.

SCENTING AND MATING:

Females call in the males with a pheromone released from a gland at the tip of the abdomen.

EGGS, LARVAE, PUPAE:

Females deposit eggs singly on leaves of various species of Annona with Annona cherimola given as a host on the Galapagos Islands.

In the early instars larvae have white side slashes.

Mature caterpillars are large ( 20.81 g) and have a horn at the rear end. In the last instars, larvae are uniform green with a dark purple center back line and a very sharp white posterior side slash with some dark green on both sides of it.

Larva feed on Custard apple (Annona glabra) and on Annona reticulata, Annona purpurea, Annona holosericea, and Rollinia membranacea, of the Annonaceae family.

Moths emerge approximately 30 days after larvae pupate underground. The pupa has a big tongue loop like Manduca rustica

Larvae are subject to parasitization by members of Tachinidae family.

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