Hemeroplanes ornatus male, courtesy of Dan Janzen.

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TAXONOMY: Family: Sphingidae Latreille, 1802 Subfamily: Macroglossinae Harris, 1839 Tribe: Dilophonotini Burmeister, 1878 Genus: Hemeroplanes Hubner, [1819]........... Species: ornatus Rothschild, 1894

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DISTRIBUTION: Hemeroplanes ornatus (wingspan: 90-95 mm) flies in Venezuela (specimen type locality) and north through Costa Rica to Belize, Guatemala (JM), and Mexico. I believe the genus name comes from the Greek "Hemero" = everyday life and "planes" = rhealm. Hemeroplanes ornatus male, courtesy of Hubert Mayer copyright. FLIGHT TIMES: There are probably at least two generations annually with peak flights in January-February and again in June-July. Hemeroplanes ornatus female, courtesy of Hubert Mayer copyright. ECLOSION: SCENTING AND MATING: Females call in the males with a pheromone released from a gland at the tip of the abdomen. Hemeroplanes ornatus female, courtesy of Dan Janzen. EGGS, LARVAE, PUPAE: Larvae feed on Fischeria panamensis. Use your browser "Back" button to return to the previous page. This page is brought to you by Bill Oehlke and the WLSS. Pages are on space rented from Bizland. If you would like to become a "Patron of the Sphingidae Site", contact Bill. Please send sightings/images to Bill. I will do my best to respond to requests for identification help. Enjoy one of nature's wonderments: Live Saturniidae (Giant Silkmoth) cocoons. Show appreciation for this site by clicking on flashing butterfly to the left. The link will take you to a page with links to many insect sites.