Scientific name Amphion floridensis | Genus Amphion Rank Species | |
 | ||
Similar Darapsa, Darapsa myron, Deidamia inscriptum, Darapsa choerilus, Paonias myops | ||
The Nessus Sphinx (Amphion floridensis) is a day-flying moth of the Sphingidae family. It lives throughout the eastern United States and Canada and occasionally down into Mexico, and is one of the more commonly encountered day-flying moths in the region, easily recognized by the two bright yellow bands across the abdomen.
Contents
Nessus sphinx moth amphion floridensis
Description
The wingspan is 37–55 mm.
Biology
Adults are on wing April to July in one generation in the north and in two generations in the south. The adults feed on the nectar of various flowers, including Syringa vulgaris, Geranium robertianum, Kolkwitzia amabilis, Philadelphus coronarius, and Phlox.
The larvae feed on Vitis, Ampelopsis and Capsicum species.
Taxonomy
It was first described as Sphinx nessus by Pieter Cramer in 1777. This name was invalid, because Dru Drury had already used it for another species (Theretra nessus) in 1773. A replacement name was published in Benjamin Preston Clark in 1920.
