Madoryx bubastus bubastus male, Costa Rica, courtesy of Dan Janzen.

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TAXONOMY: Family: Sphingidae, Latreille, 1802 Subfamily: Macroglossinae, Harris, 1839 Tribe: Dilophonotini, Burmeister, 1878 Genus: Madoryx Boisduval, 1875 ........... Species: bubastus bubastus Cramer, 1777

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DISTRIBUTION:

Madoryx bubastus bubastus (wingspan: 92-120mm, males considerably smaller than females) flies in Central and South America, French Guiana and Venezuela. Dan Janzen confirms it from Costa Rica, and Jose Monzon confirms it from Guatemala

It flies as subspecies M. b. butleri in Mexico, Guatemala and Belize, and then probably as the nominate subspecies throughout the rest of Central America and into South America, probably as far south as Paraguay.

Madoryx bubastus butleri, Peten, Guatemala, courtesy of Jose Monzon.

FLIGHT TIMES:

Moths are probably on the wing in just about every month.

ECLOSION:

Adults eclose, usually within three weeks, from pupae formed in flimsy cocoons spun amongst leaf litter.

SCENTING AND MATING:

Females call in the males with a pheromone released from a gland at the tip of the abdomen.

Madoryx bubastus bubastus female, Costa Rica, courtesy of Dan Janzen.

EGGS, LARVAE, PUPAE:

Larvae feed on Guettarda macrosperma and spin a very flimsy cocoon amongst leaf litter.

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