Pluto Sphinx Moth

We recently discovered this lovely little sphinx moth hanging out in our shade house structure behind the Butterfly Garden. After a brief photo session and a bit of web searching, we determined this to be a Pluto Sphinx Moth (Xylophanes pluto). We were taken by the greenish tint to this moth's wings, and the striking orange colors of the lower wings, visible only when the upper wings are spread.

The Pluto Sphinx is native to South America and north through Central America and Mexico. In the U.S., it is found in South Texas and South Florida. Firebush (Hamelia patens) is noted as a host plant, and with the amount of this wonderful native shrub we have here at MOSI, the only surprise is that we haven't found one of these moths sooner. Other hosts include milkberry (Chiococca spp) and Pentas (Pentas lanceolata).

The wingspan of this moth is about 2.5 to 3 inches. Their caterpillars - like many moths species - are highly variable, and include three color morphs (red, brown, purple-brown). Regardless of the color, the larvae have prominent eyespots (see photos here) and feed from dusk till dawn, hiding at the base of the host plant during the day. The adult moth also flies and feeds at night. Unlike silk moths, sphinx moths do have mouth parts and feed as adults, nectaring at night.

There's not a great deal of additional information about this moth, but credit for its discovery and classification goes to Johan Christian Fabricius, one of the greatest entomologists of the 18th century. He named nearly 3000 insects, three times as many as his teacher Linnaeus, and developed a system for classification using mouth parts. 

What's In a Name? Xylophanes is a genus of moths in the family Sphingidae. It includes the Tersa Sphinx Moth (Xylophanes tersa), another moth found throughout Florida. In Greek myth, Phanes is the golden-winged primeval deity who gave life to the universe, while xylo is the Greek word for wood. Many of the moths in this genus have wing patterns resembling wood or bark. Pluto was the Greek god of the underworld, but it's difficult to know why Fabricius chose this particular species indicator.