Sagenosoma elsa courtesy of Bruce Walsh.

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: Smerinthinae, Grote & Robinson, 1865 Tribe: Sphingini, Latreille, 1802 Genus: Sagenosoma Jordan, 1946 ........... Species: elsa Strecker, 1877

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DISTRIBUTION:

The very rare Elsa Sphinx Moth, Sagenosoma elsa (Wing span: 2 3/4 - 3 1/4 inches (7 - 8.2 cm)), flies from southern Utah and southern Colorado south to Arizona (specimen type locality) and New Mexico, and possibly into Mexico.

The upperside of the forewing has a wide white band along the costa from base to apex. The remainder of the wing has black and white bands. The entire forewing is speckled with dark dots and has a light dusting of pale yellow to yellow-green scales. The upperside of the hindwing is white with two black bands.

FLIGHT TIMES:

Sagenosoma elsa adults probably fly as a single brood from May-July.

ECLOSION:

Pupae probably wiggle to surface from subterranean chambers just prior to eclosion.

SCENTING AND MATING:

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

EGGS, LARVAE, PUPAE:

Larval hosts are unknown, but larvae probably feed on Lycium in the nightshade family (Solanaceae).

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