Pachygonidia subhamata

Pachygonidia subhamata 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: Pachygonidia Fletcher, 1982 ........... Species: subhamata Walker, 1856

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DISTRIBUTION:

Pachygonidia subhamata, (wingspan: 62-75mm, males smaller than females), flies in Brazil, Venezuela MEC, Ecuador HK, probably Colombia WO (no file yet), and possibly other South American countries, and north through Central America: Panama WO, Costa Rica DJ, Nicaragua WO, Honduras: San Pedro Sula (CATE), Guatemala (JM), El Salvador WO, to Mexico: Cordova (CATE), MBL, and Belize JM.

The forewing apex is sinuate between Rs3 and Rs4, not pointed as in Pachygonidia caliginosa. The outer margin is concave between Rs4 and M2, and convex at M2 but not angulate.

There is a distinct grey-brown submarginal patch on M1-M2.

The hindwing upperside has two median transverse pinkish-buff bands, similar to those of Pachygonidia caliginosa and Pachygonidia mielkei. The pink tint is usually diminished, being replaced by brownish shade. CATE

FLIGHT TIMES:

There are probably several flights throughout the year. Horst Kach sent me this image of Pachygonidia subhamata (bottom right) from Los Bancos, Pichincha Province, Ecuador, along with three specimens of the very rare Pachygonidia odile (one female top left), all captured between November and April, 2003 and 2004.

ECLOSION:

Larvae probably pupate in thin walled cocoons under leaf litter.

SCENTING AND MATING:

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

Pachygonidia subhamata female, Costa Rica, courtesy of Dan Janzen.

EGGS, LARVAE, PUPAE: