SPHINGIDAE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Lapara coniferarum

(Smith, 1797)

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Common Name(s):
Southern Pine Sphinx


Ecology and Life History:  This moth flies throughout the warm months, being active from May to October throughout most of its range. It may be found nearly year-round in the deep South. This species is highly attracted to light, both males and females will come to it. Males come to light with much more regularity. Bait is not an effective method of attracting this species. Males and females of this species are identically marked. Females tend to have rounder abdomens. Eggs are laid singly on the needles of pine trees. Larvae feed singly, and camouflage themselves quite well among the pine needles. Older larvae hide in clumps of needles with their head pointed inward to better hide themselves.

Habitat and Searching for Larvae: This is a moth that specializes on hard pines. Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida) is a favorite in the Northeast. Larvae can be found virtually anywhere on a tree. I have personally collected larvae from the lowest boughs, all the way up to the highest parts of the tree. Most of the larvae encountered were on mid-height branches, that often stuck out farther than the surrounding boughs. Pine forests, barrens, edges, and other areas with significant amounts of hard pine are the preferred habitats in the northern part of its range. It becomes much more widespread as you progress down the east coast. Larvae can be found from June to November in the South, and from July through October in the North. The larvae fluoresces brightly under UV light.
​

Rearing Notes: Obtaining eggs can be achieved by placing a female in a paper bag. It is possible that a flight cage with cut host would also work. This species will feed on virtually any hard pine in captivity. Pinus rigida (Pitch Pine) has been used successfully. This species is fairly disease resistant. They can be reared together, so long as humidity is kept lower. They are tolerant of high humidity, but not for extended durations. Crowding of larvae is not an issue for this speices and many can be reared together. In tupperware, it is important to vent the containers daily. Sleeving is a great method for rearing this species, and multiple larvae can be reared together in the same sleeve. Removal of final instars is a good idea as they can be prone to dessication when pupating. Pupation is easy to achieve using the paper towel method (outlined in the general information tab) or by allowing larvae to bury themselves in a loose soil media.

Host plants:
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Picture
(C) Teá Montagna
Picture
L5 (C) Teá Montagna
Picture
Adult description: 
This is a fairly variable medium sized moth with forewings 28-40mm in length (2). The overall appearance of this moth is gray. There is brown on the lower edge of the forewing. In Lapara bombycoides, there is significantly less brown, or no brown on the lower edge of the forewing. This species tends to have minimal markings on the wings, with generally only one  black streak in the middle of the forewing. In Lapara bombycoides, the forewings are usually well marked with brown and gray and it usually has two black lines. Along the gulf coast, this species can also be confused with Lapara phaeobrachycerous which is somewhat darker and generally less marked (2). Lapara phaeobrachycerous  also has shorter antennae than this species (16).
​

Larval description:
L5:  The larva is overall green in color and has multiple sets of white lines running down the entire length (from head to anal plate) with an orange head capsule. There are variable amounts of brown and red on the larva. The only difference between this species and Lapara bombycoides as larva are the presence of orange thoracic legs. This larva is identical to Lapara phaeobrachycerous the only difference being the spiracles. In Lapara coniferarum the spiracles are solid black, in Lapara phaeobrachycerous the spiracles are black with an orange center (1).
​
The gallery to the left contains photos of Lapara coniferarum adults. If you have a photo that you would like to submit to us, please contact us.

The gallery to the right contains photos of Lapara coniferarum larval and pupal stages. If you have a photo that you would like to submit to us, please contact us.
(C) Eric Eaton
(C) Ken Childs
(C) Ken Childs
(C) Ken Childs
(C) Teá Montagna
(C) Teá Montagna
(C) Teá Montagna
(C) Teá Montagna
(C) Maya Shikhman
(C) Teá Montagna
(C) Teá Montagna
L5 (C) Ashley Bosarge
L5 (C) Ashley Bosarge
L5 (C) Ashley Bosarge
L5 (C) Jon Mularczyk
L5 - (C) Teá Montagna
L5 - (C) Teá Montagna
L5 - (C) Teá Montagna
L5 - (C) Teá Montagna
L5 - (C) Teá Montagna
L5 - (C) Teá Montagna
Pupa (C) Teá Montagna
Pupa (C) Teá Montagna
Pupa (C) Teá Montagna

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Macroglossinae

Aellopos clavipes
Aellopos fadus
Aellopos tantalus
Aellopos titan
Amphion floridensis
Cautethia grotei
Callionima falcifera
Callionima parce
Darapsa choerilus
Darapsa myron
Darapsa versicolor
Deidemia inscriptum
Enyo lugubris
Enyo ocypete
Erinnyis alope
Erinnyis crameri
Erinnyis ello
Erinnyis guttularis
Erinnyis lassauxii
Erinnyis oenotrus
Erinnyis obscura
Eumorpha achemon
Eumorpha fasciatus
Eumorpha intermedia
Eumorpha labruscae
Eumorpha pandorus
Eumorpha satellitia
Eumorpha vitis
Eumorpha typhon
Eupyrrhoglossum sagra​
Hemaris diffinis
Hemaris gracilis
Hemaris thysbe
Hyles euphorbiae
Hyles gallii
Hyles lineata
Madoryx pseudothyreus
Pachylioides resumens
Pachylia ficus
Perigonia lusca
Phryxus caicus
Proserpinus flavofasciata
Proserpinus clarkiae
Proserpinus gaurae
Proserpinus lucidus
Pseudosphinx tetrio
Sphecodina abbottii
Xylophanes falco
Xylophanes pluto
Xylophanes libya
Xylophanes porcus
Xylophanes tersa

Smerinthinae

Protambulyx strigilis
Amorpha juglandis
Pachysphinx modesta
Pachysphinx occidentalis
Paonias astylus
Paonias excaecata
Paonias myops
Smerinthus cerisyi
Smerinthus jamaicensis
Smerinthus astarte
Smerinthus ophthalmica

Sphinginae

Agrius cingulata
Ceratomia amyntor
Ceratomia catalpae
Ceratomia hageni
Ceratomia undulosa
Cocytius antaeus
Cocytius duponchel
Dolba hyloeus
Isoparce cupressi
Lapara bombycoides
Lapara coniferarum
Lintneria istar
Lintneria separatus
Lintneria eremitus
Manduca jasminearum
Manduca occulta
Manduca brontes cubensis
Manduca florestan
Manduca muscosa
Manduca quinquemaculatus
Manduca rustica
Manduca sexta
Neococytius cluentius
Paratrea plebeja
Sphinx canadensis
Sphinx chersis
Sphinx dollii
Sphinx drupiferarum
Sphinx frankii
Sphinx gordius
Sphinx kalmiae
Sphinx leucophaeata
Sphinx luscitiosa
Sphinx pinastri
Sphinx poecila 
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  • Home
  • Sphingidae Index
    • Macroglossinae >
      • Aellopos >
        • Aellopos clavipes
        • Aellopos fadus
        • Aellopos tantalus
        • Aellopos titan
      • Amphion >
        • Amphion floridensis
      • Callionima >
        • Callionima falcifera
      • Cautethia >
        • Cautethia grotei
      • Darapsa >
        • Darapsa versicolor
        • Darapsa myron
        • Darapsa choerilus
      • Deidamia >
        • Deidamia inscriptum
      • Enyo >
        • Enyo lugubris
        • Enyo ocypete
      • Erinnyis >
        • Erinnyis alope
        • Erinnyis crameri
        • Erinnyis ello
        • Erinnyis cubensis
        • Erinnyis lassauxii
        • Erinnyis oenotrus
        • Erinnyis obscura
      • Eumorpha >
        • Eumorpha pandorus
        • Eumorpha achemon
        • Eumorpha fasciatus
        • Eumorpha satellitia
        • Eumorpha labruscae
        • Eumorpha intermedia
        • Eumorpha vitis
        • Eumorpha typhon
      • Eupyrrhoglossum >
        • Eupyrrhoglossum sagra
      • Hemaris >
        • Hemaris thysbe
        • Hemaris gracilis
        • Hemaris diffinis
        • Hemaris aethra
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        • Hyles gallii
        • Hyles euphorbiae
        • Hyles lineata
      • Madoryx >
        • Madoryx pseudothyreus
      • Pachylioides >
        • Pachylioides resumens
      • Pachylia >
        • Pachylia ficus
      • Phryxus >
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        • Perigonia lusca
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        • Proserpinus terlooii
      • Pseudosphinx >
        • Pseudosphinx tetrio
      • Sphecodina >
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        • Xylophanes falco
        • Xylophanes libya
        • Xylophanes pluto
        • Xylophanes porcus
        • Xylophanes tersa
    • Smerinthinae >
      • Amorpha >
        • Amorpha juglandis
      • Pachysphinx >
        • Pachysphinx modesta
        • Pachysphinx occidentalis
      • Paonias >
        • Paonias excaecata
        • Paonias myops
        • Paonias astylus
      • Protambulyx >
        • Complex: strigilis-carteri >
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        • Lapara bombycoides
      • Lintneria >
        • Lintneria eremitus
        • Lintneria istar
        • Lintneria separatus
      • Manduca >
        • Manduca brontes cubensis
        • Manduca jasminearum
        • Manduca muscosa
        • Manduca occulta
        • Manduca florestan
        • Manduca quinquemaculatus
        • Manduca rustica
        • Manduca sexta
      • Neococytius >
        • Neococytius cluentius
      • Paratrea >
        • Paratrea plebeja
      • Sphinx >
        • Sphinx canadensis
        • Sphinx chersis
        • Sphinx dollii
        • Sphinx drupiferarum
        • Sphinx franckii
        • Sphinx kalmiae
        • Sphinx leucophaeata
        • Sphinx luscitiosa
        • Complex: gordius-poecila >
          • Sphinx poecila
          • Sphinx gordius
      • Hyloicus >
        • Hyloicus pinastri
  • Final Instar Larva Key
  • Hostplant Index
  • Parasitoids and Predators
  • Range
  • General Information
  • Sources and Acknowledgements
  • Other Resources
    • Sphingidae Publication Library
  • Store
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