Cautethia spuria

Description

Cautethia spuria, the spurious sphinx, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Jean Baptiste Boisduval in 1875. It lives from Mexico to Costa Rica to southern Texas and Oklahoma on the North American continent. The upperside of the forewing is pale silvery gray with black markings. In some individuals the wing base is very dark. The upperside of the hindwing is deep yellow with a black border that covers more than half the wing. There are multiple generations per year. Adults nectar at flowers. The wingspan is 35–45 mm. Larvae feed on Coutarea hexandra, Chiococca alba and Chiococca pachyphylla and probably other Rubiaceae species.