Unzela japix japix

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TAXONOMY: Family: Sphingidae, Latreille, 1802 Subfamily: Macroglossinae, Harris, 1839 Tribe: Dilophonotini, Burmeister, 1878 Genus: Unzela Walker, 1856 ........... Species: japix japix (Cramer, 1777)

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Unzela japix japix, Mexico, courtesy of Manuel Balcazar-Lara.

DISTRIBUTION:

Unzela japix japix (wingspan: approx. 44mm) flies from Mexico to Amazonia. Surinam is the specimen type locality. It has also been recorded in northwestern and southeastern Venezuela.

Unzela japix japix, Venezuela, from Hawkmoths of Venezuela,
courtesy of Dr. María Esperanza Chacín and José Clavijo A., Ph.D.

FLIGHT TIMES:

Unzela japix japix probably has two to three broods annually, with adults taken in May to June, August to September and from December to January.

ECLOSION:

Adults eclose from pupae formed in subterranean chambers.

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 nectar at flowers.

EGGS, LARVAE, PUPAE:

Larvae possibly feed on Vitus tiliifolia and other members of the Vitaceae family, however, thus far it seems they are limited to Dilleniaceae.

The "horn" is very long in early instars and head is relatively large.

Larvae also feed on Tetracera volubilis of the Dilleniaceae family. The "horn" is quite diminished in the final instar and now the head is small compared to body girth.

Eclosion from pupa is about four weeks after pupation. The pupa is dark and smooth with a long, sharp cremaster.

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