Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Sphingidae Scientific name Eumorpha vitis | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Eumorpha Rank Species | |
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Similar Eumorpha, Eumorpha fasciatus, Erinnyis obscura, Eumorpha labruscae, Eumorpha satellitia | ||
Vine sphinx flights in slow motion eumorpha vitis
Eumorpha vitis, known as the vine sphinx, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It lives from Argentina north through Central America, the West Indies, and Mexico to southern Arizona, Texas, Mississippi, and Florida. Strays north to Nebraska.
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The wingspan is 85–105 mm. It is similar to Eumorpha fasciatus fasciatus but distinguishable by the lack of a pink marginal band on the hindwing upperside and the single straight line on the forewing upperside.
Adults are on wing from April to May and again from July to October in Florida, from July to September in one generation in the northern part of the range and year round in the tropics. They feed on the nectar of various flowers, including Vinca rosea.
The larvae feed on Vitis species (including Vitis vinifera), Cissus species (including Cissus incisa, Cissus pseudosicyoides, Cissus rhombifolia, Cissus sicycoides and Cissus verticillata), Ludwigia decurrens, Ludwigia erecta, Magnolia virginiana and Parthenocissus species. There are green, yellow and purple colour morphs. Pupation takes place in subterranean burrows.
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