Xylophanes cthulhu, male, upperside. Costa Rica, Tuis
Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Endopterygota
Superordo: Panorpida
Cladus: Amphiesmenoptera
Ordo: Lepidoptera
Subordo: Glossata
Cladus: Coelolepida
Cladus: Myoglossata
Cladus: Neolepidoptera
Infraordo: Heteroneura
Cladus: Eulepidoptera
Cladus: Ditrysia
Cladus: Apoditrysia
Cladus: Obtectomera
Cladus: Macroheterocera
Superfamilia: Bombycoidea
Familia: Sphingidae
Subfamilia : Macroglossinae
Tribus: Macroglossini
Subtribus: Choerocampina
Genus: Xylophanes
Species: Xylophanes cthulhu
Name
Xylophanes cthulhu Haxaire & Vaglia, 2008
Type locality: Guatemala, Izabal department, track from Chocchoc to Cebol (Cevol), km. 2, Pueblo Cadenas, 76 m.
Holotype: JH. male. gen. prep. BC-Hax4328/SOWE429-07. 21.VII.2004. leg. O. Paquit & J. Haxaire.
References
Haxaire, J. & Th. Vaglia, 2008, Morphology and DNA barcoding reveal three cryptic species within the Xylophanes neoptolemus and loelia species-groups (Lepidoptera:Sphingidae) Zootaxa 1923: 18–36. [1]
Photos
Bill Oehlke [2]
Xylophanes cthulhu is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It is known from lowland rainforest in Guatemala and Costa Rica.[1]
The wingspan is 76–82 mm. It is similar to Xylophanes neoptolemus but distinguishable by the overall brighter colour and the more acutely falcate tip of the forewing, a pure black basal area to the hindwing and a golden yellow band between the first and fourth postmedian lines on the forewing underside
Adults are on wing year-round in Costa Rica.
The larvae feed on Ludwigia species. They have a snake-like appearance. The head and the three thoracic segments can be retracted into abdominal segment one, which is swollen and adorned with a pair of light-ringed grey eye-spots.
References
"Silkmoths". Silkmoths.bizland.com. 2010-10-27. Archived from the original on November 12, 2011. Retrieved 2011-10-25.
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