Erinnyis alope male courtesy of Dan Janzen.

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: Erinnyis Hubner, [1819] ........... Species: alope Drury, 1770

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DISTRIBUTION:

The Alope Sphinx Moth, Erinnyis alope (Wing span: 3 1/4 - 3 15/16 inches (8.2 - 10 cm)), flies from
northern Argentina and
Uruguay north through Central America, Mexico, and the West Indies to south Florida, South Texas, southern New Mexico, and southern Arizona. This species has strayed to Arkansas and Kansas and further north and east.

The moth has also been reported in Brazil: Para, and I am pretty sure I have corrected identified a heavily parasitized larva (bottom of page) from southeastern Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Jamaica is the specimen type locality.

The upperside of the forewing is dark brown with short yellowish streaks on the forward half and wavy yellowish bands on the rear half. The upperside of the hindwing is bright yellow with a wide dark brown border.

Erinnyis alope, Port St. Lucie, St. Lucie County, Florida, October 8, 2009, courtesy of Donna Marie Kisslan.

Donna found three Erinnyis alope larvae on her papaya September 16, 2009. She took care of them and saw them pupate on September 24-25, and then emerge about two weeks later on October 8, 2009.

Erinnyis alope, Port St. Lucie, St. Lucie County, Florida, October 8, 2009, courtesy of Donna Marie Kisslan.

FLIGHT TIMES:

Erinnyis alope broods continuously in the tropics and in south Florida.

Adults nectar at flowers and have been reported hovering over flowers of Asystasia gangetica at dusk.

ECLOSION:

Adults eclose from pupae formed in loose cocoons spun among surface litter.

Erinnyis alope 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.

EGGS, LARVAE, PUPAE:

Larvae feed on papaya (Carica papaya), nettlespurge (Jatropha), and allamanda (Allamanda).

Erinnyis alope dark form courtesy of Dan Janzen.

Erinnyis alope dorsal view courtesy of Dan Janzen.

Erinnyis alope green form courtesy of Dan Janzen.

Erinnyis alope fifth instar, heavily parasitized, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
courtesy of Larry Valentine, tentative id by Bill Oehlke

Erinnyis alope fifth instar, heavily parasitized, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
courtesy of Larry Valentine, tentative id by Bill Oehlke

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