Vernon A. Brou has indicated images depicted are not true falcifera. See the discussion on Callionima parce page. A photo from the original description is displayed at bottom of this page.

Callionima falcifera from Rancho Grande, H. Pittier National Park, Venezuela by 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: Macroglossinae, Harris, 1839 Tribe: Dilophonotini, Burmeister, 1878 Genus: Callionima Lucas, 1857 ........... Species: falcifera Gehlen, 1943

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DISTRIBUTION:

Callionima falcifera (wingspan 68-73 mm) flies in
Mexico;
Belize: Corozol, Orange Walk, Cayo, Toledo;
Nicaragua: Madriz, Jinotega, Matagalpa, Chinandega, Managua, Masaya, Granada, Isla de Ometepe, Rio San Juan;
Costa Rica: Puntarenas, Guanacaste, Alajuela, Lemon, San Jose, Heredia;
Jamaica (ssp elainae), etc., south through northern South America (northwestern and eastern Venezuela).

Hemeroplanes elainae Neidhoefer, 1966, Jamaica, is a synonym for Callionima falcifera

FLIGHT TIMES:

Callionima falcifera adults fly continuously and specimens have been taken in every month in Costa Rica.

This species is redder, has more falcate wings and flies after midnight. The very similar Callionima parce is browner, slightly less falcate and flies before midnight.

ECLOSION:

Adults eclose from pupae formed in flimsy cocoons among leaf litter.

Callionima falcifera female 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. Both males and females come in to lights, but males are taken much more frequently that way.

EGGS, LARVAE, PUPAE:

Larvae feed on Stemmadenia obovata and probably on other members of the Apocynaceae family. Huevos de caballo, cojones de burro, cojón, cojón de puerco, and cojón de coche (Guatemala), are the common names for Stemmadenia obovata. In English, the common name is "Horse Testicles". This tree has a smooth, pale whitish bark with prominent lenticils. The leaves are simple and glossy. The fruit is green and is paired (resembling its common name "horse testicles").

The narrow, flattened head of the larva is clearly visible in the lateral and dorsal views below.

Larvae are frequently parasitized by Drino piceiventris, one of the Tachinidae.

Note the very hooked forewing tips on original Callionima falcifera .

Below is the image Dr. Manuel Balcazar Lara gives from Mexico.

Callionima falcifera, female, courtesy of Manuel Balcazar-Lara
idenitifed by Jean Haxaire.