Cocytius duponchel from Rancho Grande, H. Pittier National Park, Venezuela
courtesy of Paolo Mazzei.

This site has been created by Bill Oehlke at oehlkew@islandtelecom.com
Comments, suggestions and/or additional information are welcomed by Bill.

TAXONOMY: Family: Sphingidae, Latreille, 1802 Subfamily: Sphinginae, Latreille, [1802] Tribe: Sphingini, Latreille, 1802 Genus: Cocytius Hubner, [1819] ........... Species: duponchel (Poey, 1832)

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DISTRIBUTION:

Duponchel's Sphinx, Cocytius duponchel (Wing span: 4 5/16 - 5 7/8 inches (11 - 15 cm), males much smaller than females)], flies in tropical and subtropical lowlands in Cuba, the specimen type locality, and generally from southern Brazil north through Venezuela and Mexico; Nicaragua: Granada, Chontales, Zelaya, Rio San Juan; Costa Rica: Puntarenas, Guanacaste, Alajuela, Lemon, Heredia, Carthage, San Jose; and the West Indies. It is rare in Florida and Texas. The upperside of the forewing is dark gray with a blue tint. The yellow patch in the hindwing is deeply divided, and the transparent area, ending sharply at the black margin, is smaller than that of antaeus. The male has very large claspers. This picture was taken on September 6, 2002 - 9:32 PM in Yasuni, Ecuador, by Steve Graser. Robert Lehman confirms them in Honduras.

They are also taken in Bolivia: Santa Cruz: Florida, Mataral; Ichilo, Buena Vista; La Víbora; Beni: José Ballivián, Espíritu; Río Andacuma; La Paz: Murillo, Zongo Cuticucho; La Paz: La Paz, 11000'; Larecaja, San Agustín, Mapiri, 3500'; Murillo, Río Zongo, 750m; Santa Cruz: Ichilo, Buena Vista, 750m.

Cocytius duponchel, Brasil, Poté, Minas Gerais, November 11, 2004,
courtesy of Frederik Goussey.

FLIGHT TIMES:

Cocytius duponchel adults nectar at flowers and brood continuously.

In Bolivia there are records for March-April and June-July-August-September-October-November-December.

Both males and females come to lights.

ECLOSION:

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

Cocytius duponchel 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. The females seem to have much more white on the forewings as compared to the males. The image to the right was taken in Yasuni, Ecuador, September 7, 2002, at 2:20 AM by Steve Graser.

EGGS, LARVAE, PUPAE:

Colourful larvae (not hairy, white posterior slash that fades into bluish, 1-2 white posterior costal slashes, maroon line down center of apple green back, 13.2 g as large last instar) feed on Guatteria diospyroides, Annona purpurea, Annona reticulata, Xylopia frutescens and Custard apple (Annona glabra) and probably other members of the Annonaceae family.

Moths emerge from pupae in as few as 21 days from pupation.

Larvae are subject to parasitization from Leschenaultia sp. 12 of the Tachinidae family.

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