Xylophanes maculator

Description

Xylophanes maculator is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It is found from Mexico and Belize to Ecuador and further south to Venezuela and Bolivia. The wingspan is 65–75 mm. The upperside of the body has a characteristic pair of dark brown, subdorsal, longitudinal lines that run from the head, over the prothorax, along the inner edge of the tegula, across the metathorax and along the abdomen as a lateral stripe. The dorsal line of the abdomen is bordered by a pair of narrow dark brown lines highlighted on the posterior margins of the tergites by small spots. The forewings are relatively short and the outer margin is straight and the apex slightly falcate. The forewing upperside ground colour is brown and the discal spot small and black, immediately beyond which is a variably developed black cloud. The first to third postmedian lines are narrow (the first is sometimes heavier than the other two and straight along its entire length). The fourth postmedian line is strongest and the area between this and the fifth postmedian line is suffused with orange. The fifth postmedian line is interrupted. The inner margin distal to fourth postmedian line is shaded with black. Adults are on wing in April, from June to July, August or September and from November to December in Costa Rica but might even be on wing year-round. The larvae probably feed on Rubiaceae (such as Psychotria nervosa and Psychotria horizontalis), Fabaceae (such as Inga vera), Malvaceae and Dilleniaceae (such as Tetracera volubilis) species. There are green and brown larval forms, which seem to choose appropriate hiding places to best blend in with the surroundings. The eyes are black with a blue-white dot. There is a dull yellow eye ring. The tail is black with a swelling at the base. There are fine yellow dots that are wide-spaced on the body. The last instar is gray black.