Nyceryx tacita

Nyceryx tacita male, Costa Rica, 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: Nyceryx Boisduval, [1875] ...........
Species: tacita Druce, 1888

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DISTRIBUTION:

Nyceryx tacita flies from Mexico and Costa Rica and Panama, the specimen type locality, to Bolivia.

FLIGHT TIMES:

Moths are probably on the wing in just about every month. No records for January or March in Costa Rica.

ECLOSION:

Adults eclose, usually within three to five weeks from pupation date.

SCENTING AND MATING:

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

Nyceryx tacita female, Costa Rica, courtesy of Dan Janzen.

EGGS, LARVAE, PUPAE:

Larvae feed on Pentagonia donnell-smithii, and Chimarrhis parviflora.

Late instar larvae take on more colouration. The head region becomes quite distinctive.

Dan Janzen images.

Pupa is smooth and shiny with some creases around the thorax.

Moths eclose from pupae within three to five weeks for July-August flights.

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