Erinnyis alope

Description

Erinnyis alope, the Alope sphinx, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It lives from the northern part of South America, through Central America, up to Northern Mexico and the very south of the United States, although strays have been recorded as far north as Arkansas and Kansas. The wingspan is 82–100 mm. The upperside of the forewing is dark brown with short yellowish streaks on the forward half and wavy yellowish bands on the rear half. The upperside of the hindwing is bright yellow with a wide dark brown border. The body is streamlined and checkered. Adults are on wing year-round in the tropics, as well as southern Florida. They feed on the nectar of various flowers, including Asystasia gangetica. The larva eat Papaya (Carica papaya), Cassava (Manihot esculenta), Nettlespurge (Jatropha), and Allamanda (Allamanda).