Erinnyis oenotrus Paraguay, PYBIO

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: oenotrus Cramer 1782

MIDI MUSIC .....It's a Wonderful World..... copyright C. Odenkirk ON.OFF <bgsound src="world.mid" LOOP=FOREVER>

DISTRIBUTION:

The Oenotrus Sphinx, Erinnyis oenotrus (Wing span: 2 7/8 - 3 3/8 inches (7.3 - 8.6 cm)), flies in tropical and subtropical lowlands in
Paraguay: Alto Paraguay, Boqueron, Presidente Hayes, Concepcion, Canideyu, Alto Parana, Caaguazu, Cordillera, Paraguari, Guaira, (probably Caazapa, Central, Amambay, San Pedro and Itapua);
Brazil: Mato Grosso and;
Argentina north through Central America, Mexico, and the West Indies.

This species occasionally strays into Florida and southern Texas in July.

Surinam is the specimen type locality.

Erinnyis oenotrus male courtesy of Dan Janzen.

The underside of the abdomen has two black spots. The male's forewing is dark brown, while the female's forewing is gray with mottled brown markings. The black border of the hindwing blends (blurs) into the orange background color. Related species have more distinct orange and black areas.

Erinnyis oenotrus, Yacutinga Private Reserve, Misiones Province,
(near border between Argentina and Brazil),
courtesy/copyright of Ezequiel Osvaldo Núñez Bustos.

FLIGHT TIMES:

Erinnyis oenotrus broods continuously in the tropics.

During the night adults nectar at flowers, including bouncing bet (Saponaria officinalis).

Erinnyis oenotrus, Cristalino Jungle Lodge, Mato Grosso, Brazil,
September 22, 2007, 71m, courtesy/copyright of Johan van't Bosch.

ECLOSION: Adults eclose from pupae formed in loose cocoons spun among surface litter. Eclosions can occur within fourteen days. Erinnyis oenotrus pupa 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.

Erinnyis oenotrus female courtesy of Dan Janzen.

EGGS, LARVAE, PUPAE:

Larvae feed on Forsteronia spicata and other species in the dogbane family (Apocynaceae).

Erinnyis oenotrus dark colour morph, dorsal, courtesy of Dan Janzen.

Erinnyis oenotrus green form courtesy of Dan Janzen.

Return to U. S. A. Table
Return to Sphingidae Index
Return to Dilophonotini Tribe