SPHINGICAMPA ALBOLINEATA
SYSSPHINX ALBOLINEATA
(GROTE & ROBINSON, 1866)

This site has been created by Bill Oehlke at oehlkew@islandtelcom.com
Comments, suggestions and/or additional information are welcomed by Bill.

TAXONOMY: Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802 Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834 Subfamily: Ceratocampinae, Harris, 1841 was Syssphinginae: Packard, 1905 Genus: Syssphinx, Hubner [1819] 1816

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DISTRIBUTON:

Albolineata (wingspan 55-82 mm; males smaller than females) is seldom found in the U.S, and then only in the southernmost sections of Brownsville, Texas. This moth is primarily a Mexican species

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Moths are on the wing from April until November with as many as three broods in Mexico.

Little is known about this species and suspected natural hosts are Acacia, Mimosa and Leucaena.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

These moths come in to lights so it is expected that scenting and mating also take place after dark.

OVA, LARVAE, COCOONS, AND PUPAE:

Ova are green and translucent and are deposited in short rows of four to eight on foliage or stems. Caterpillar development can be seen through the eggshell. Larvae are gregarious in early instars and have enlarged thoracic scoli with metalic markings that reflect light on the abdominal scoli.

This species is closely related to S. raspa and it is believed development patterns are the same. The natural conditions of a hot, humid environment should be used to rear larvae.

Larvae descend hostplants at maturity to pupate in deeply excavated (up to six inches) subterranean chambers.

Larval Food Plants

Listed below are primary food plant(s) and alternate food plants listed in Stephen E. Stone's Foodplants of World Saturniidae. It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the foodplant will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

Acacia angustissima........ Acacia baileyana Leucanaea pulverulenta Robinia pseudoacacia

Prairie acacia Bailey's acacia Giant leadtree Black locust/false acacia

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