SPHINGIDAE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Proserpinus terlooii

EDwards, 1875

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Common Name(s): Terloo’s Sphinx; Baron Terloo’s Sphinx

Ecology and Life History Overview: This small, but stunning moth is found in Southeastern Arizona down through parts of Mexico. Unlike many other members of it’s genus that feed on plants in the Onagraceae, this species feeds on only a few species of Boerhavia in the Nyctaginaceae. This moth tends to fly during the late afternoon, and can be found nectaring at flowers then. They will come to light traps, but only usually right at dusk. In Arizona, this moth is linked to the monsoon seasons and can be found throughout the various mountain ranges in Southeastern Arizona.

Habitat and Searching for Larvae: In certain locales in Southeastern Arizona, this moth can be quite common. In the Peña Blanca, dozens of this species can be encountered in all life forms along the dry-washes where Boerhavia coccinea grows prolifically. Because eclosion of pupae is stimulated by the monsoons, missing the peak emergence of this species can be quite easy. Larvae are quite conspicuous on their hostplants. In one small area, a 5th, 4th, 3rd, and 2nd instar larva were recovered. This was quite a surprise given the wide range of life-stages, but it was evidence we missed the adult flight. The fully grown larvae tend to sit in the middle, densest part of the plant. Younger larvae are perfectly content on the stems of the plant, or underneath the leaf on the mid-vein. The larvae do not fluoresce using ultraviolet flashlights, but shining the light on the plants does make them stand out a little bit more than usual.

Rearing Notes: Very easy to rear if you have access to one of the three species of Boerhavia they rely upon. Larvae can be fed cut food in tupperware. You will have to replace food fairly often as Boerhavia doesn’t hold well when cut. Presumably, an easier method of rearing would be to plant window-box or similar sized bed of Boerhavia and allow the larvae to feed directly on the plants. Pupation is incredibly easy and larvae had no problem pupating in slightly damp paper towels or in slightly damp soil (1).

Adult description: This is a very small (FW length 14-20mm (2)) green sphingid. This species can be separated from others in the genus by having nearly uniformly colored green forewings. There is a darker green patch that runs from the costa to the inner margin on each of the forewings. The hindwings are red with a black and greenish streaked outer margin. The combination of the small size and primarily uniform color makes it easy to separate from other species.


​Larval description:
Eggs: Are very small. They tend to be light green, ovular and have a bit of a divot on the top.

L1: The very small larvae are almost translucent. There is a very short, orange-ish caudal horn that sticks straight up. The larvae appears to be covered in small, translucent setae

L2: Still very small, the larva has taken on a more green-gray translucent appearance. The very short, straight orange caudal horn is still there, but now tipped in black. The larvae at this stage can be found hidden underneath the leaf veins during the day.

L3: Third instar larvae are decidedly more green. The caudal horn is now plain orange, but is much more reduced, barely the same size as one of the larva’s thoracic legs. It is a fairly unremarkable larva at this point, just rather plain green. At this stage, larvae are often seen sitting on small stems, or the mid-vein underneath leaves on plants.

L5: Final instar Proserpinus terlooii can be quite variable. All of the forms have a large black “eyespot” around each spiracle. Sometimes this spot is more of a black circle, especially in the plain green form, and sometimes it’s a more developed eyespot. The plain green form of the larva is still quite striking due to the black spots around the spiracles. The green ground color of the larva is often very muted, and tends to match the hostplant quite well. Another form is the bicolored form where the entire dorsal region of the larva is dark (usually black or brown) and the ventral half of the larva is cream (or lighter in contrast) colored. These two colors meet around the spiracles which are surrounded by more well-defined eyespots, enhanced by the more orange colored spiracles. These two forms have intermediate steps as well, but the combination of larva having large black circles around the spiracles, and a very short cream/orange nub of a horn makes it easy to identify.
Picture
(C) Eric Eaton
Picture
(C) Teá Kesting-Handly
Picture
Hostplants:
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The gallery to the left contains photos of Proserpinus terlooii adults. The data for each photo can be found by clicking on it. If you have a photo that you would like to submit to us, please contact us.
​

The gallery to the right contains photos of Proserpinus terlooii larval and pupal stages. The data for each photo can be found by clicking on it. If you have a photo that you would like to submit to us, please contact us.
(C) Jean Haxaire
(C) Eric Eaton
(C) Teá Kesting-Handly
L3 - (C) Teá Kesting-Handly
L4 - (C) Teá Kesting-Handly
L5 - (C) Teá Kesting-Handly
L5 - (C) Teá Kesting-Handly
(C) Randy Hardy
(C) Randy Hardy
(C) Randy Hardy

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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 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

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
        • Callionima parce
      • 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 guttularis
        • 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
      • Hyles >
        • Hyles gallii
        • Hyles euphorbiae
        • Hyles lineata
      • Madoryx >
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      • Pseudosphinx >
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        • Lapara bombycoides
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        • Lintneria separatus
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        • Sphinx poecila
        • Sphinx pinastri
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