Perigonia lusca, 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: Perigonia Herrich-Schaffer, ]1854] ........... Species: lusca (Fabricius, 1777)

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DISTRIBUTION:

The Half-blind Sphinx or Coffee Sphinx, Perigonia lusca (wingspan: 55-65 mm), moths fly in Central and South America: Mexico, Venezuela,
Paraguay: Alto Paraguay, Boqueron, Presidente Hayes, Central, Concepcion, San Pedro, Canindeyu, Alto Parana, Cordillera, Paraguari, Caaguazu, Guaira, and probably Amambay, Caazapa and Itapua; Argentina, Honduras, Brazil, Bahamas, Cuba, Puerto Rico, St. Vincent, etc., and also range into the southern U.S.

In south Florida there are several broods each year.

On the Galapagos Islands, moths are on the wing in April and July.

The wings and body are dark brown. The upperside of the forewing has darker median and submedian bands, and gray along the outer margin. The upperside of the hindwing has a yellow-orange median band, a yellow-orange spot on the inner margin, and a gray spot on the outer margin.

The genus name "Perigonia" POSSIBLY was chosen to reflect the bud like tufts of hairs near the tip of the abdomen.

"Lusca" means "one-eyed" or "half-blind".

The pronunciation of scientific names is troublesome for many. The "suggestion" at the top of the page is merely a suggestion. It is based on commonly accepted English pronunciation of Greek names and/or some fairly well accepted "rules" for latinized scientific names.

The suggested pronunciations, on this page and on other pages, are primarily put forward to assist those who hear with internal ears as they read.

There are many collectors from different countries whose intonations and accents would be different.

Perigonia lusca male, courtesy of Hubert Mayer copyright.

FLIGHT TIMES:

Perigonia lusca has been taken in Costa Rica in all months of the year.

ECLOSION:

Moths emerge from pupae in shallow underground chambers.

Perigonia lusca male courtesy of Dan Janzen.

Perigonia lusca female 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. Adults nectar at flowers.

EGGS, LARVAE, PUPAE:

Larvae have a yellow tail horn, a green body and a dark blue stripe down the back. There is at least one color morph. Larvae feed on Guettarda macrosperma of the Rubiaceae family.

Coffee (Coffea species) in the madder family (Rubiaceae) also serve as hosts and larvae can become serious pests. In Florida, caterpillars have been reared on tawnberry holly (Ilex krugiana) in the holly family (Aquifoliaceae) and on Rough Velvetseed (Guettarda scabra).

Genipa americana, Gonzalagunia, Ilex paraguariensis, Rondeletia, Coffea arabica, Gonzalagunia spicata and Ilex krugiana are also reported as hosts.

On the Galapagos Islands Cinchona succirubra is reported as a larval host.

Moths emerge in as few as twelve days after pupation.

Larvae are subject to parasitization by Leschenaultia sp. 14 of the Tachinidae family.

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