SPHINGIDAE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Xylophanes falco

(Walker, 1856)

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Common Name(s): Falcon Sphinx, Falco Sphinx

Ecology and Life History Overview: This is another moth closely linked to the monsoon season in the American Southwest. There are records from Texas as well, and most records are in July-August (2). This moth can be found in many of the canyons in Southeastern Arizona. The adult moths can be quite prevalent in the right season, with numbers of them coming into light. Tuttle notes seeing an adult feeding at dusk on Bouvardia (2). Adult flight seems to peak between 2300-0200 hours.

Habitat and Searching for Larvae: This moth is found at moderate elevations where it’s hostplant Bouvardia glaberrima grows (2). While the plant is found at lower elevations, it is associated with steep slopes and rocky outcroppings (2). Searching for larvae is best done visually as it appears the larvae hide in the center of the plant during the day, only coming out to feed at night, larvae can be hard to locate (2). Because of the bright white spots and eyespots on the larvae, it would almost certainly reflect UV light and searching for larvae using this method may be fruitful.

Rearing Notes: [Coming Soon]
​

Adult description: The forewings of this moth have distinctly curved inner margins. The forewing color itself is a light beige color (sometimes with greenish casts), with a thick black streak, paralleled by thinner, smaller black lines run from the basal area to the apex of the wing. The submarginal area is often covered in a series of fading parallel black lines. The subbasal are of the moth’s forewings are sometimes dusted in a pink or brownish-pink cast. The thorax is orange and brown on either side with a heather gray middle section. The hindwings are unremarkable and are simply grayish-beige in color with a black line running along the bottom.​

Picture
(C) Jean Haxaire
Picture
(C) Charlie Trapani
Larval description:
L5: Like other Xylophanes this species has large fake eyespots on it’s thoracic segments. This species has two distinct spots and then a series of white circles on the abdominal segments. The overall appearance and color of the larva is black and the short, black (sometimes with a bluish cast) caudal horn is pointed backward.

Hostplants
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The gallery to the left contains photos of Xylophanes falco 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 using the link at the bottom of the page.

The gallery to the right contains photos of Xylophanes falco 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 using the link at the bottom of the page.
(C) Jean Haxaire
(C) Eric Eaton
(C) Jean Haxaire
(C) Teá Montagna
(C) Teá Montagna
(C) Teá Montagna
(C) Teá Montagna
(C) Sue Carnahan
(C) Teá Montagna
(C) Charlie Trapani
(C) Charlie Trapani
(C) Charlie Trapani
(C) Charlie Trapani
(C) Charlie Trapani
(C) Charlie Trapani
(C) Charlie Trapani
(C) Charlie Trapani
L5 - (C) Sue Carnahan
L5 - (C) Juan Carlos Garcia Morales
L4 - (C) Juan Carlos Garcia Morales
L5 - (C) Juan Carlos Garcia Morales
L5 - (C) Juan Carlos Garcia Morales
L5 - (C) Sue Carnahan

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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 juanita
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
        • Hemaris aethra
      • Hyles >
        • Hyles gallii
        • Hyles euphorbiae
        • Hyles lineata
      • Madoryx >
        • Madoryx pseudothyreus
      • Pachylioides >
        • Pachylioides resumens
      • Pachylia >
        • Pachylia ficus
      • Phryxus >
        • Phryxus caicus
      • Perigonia >
        • Perigonia lusca
      • Proserpinus >
        • Proserpinus juanita
        • Proserpinus flavofasciata
        • Proserpinus gaurae
        • Proserpinus lucidus
        • Proserpinus terlooii
      • Pseudosphinx >
        • Pseudosphinx tetrio
      • Sphecodina >
        • Sphecodina abbottii
      • Xylophanes >
        • 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 >
        • Protambulyx strigilis
      • Smerinthus >
        • Smerinthus jamaicensis
        • Smerinthus cerisyi
    • Sphinginae >
      • Agrius >
        • Agrius cingulata
      • Ceratomia >
        • Ceratomia amyntor
        • Ceratomia hageni
        • Ceratomia undulosa
        • Ceratomia catalpae
      • Cocytius >
        • Cocytius antaeus
        • Cocytius duponchel
      • Dolba >
        • Dolba hyloeus
      • Isoparce >
        • Isoparce cupressi
      • Lapara >
        • Lapara coniferarum
        • 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
        • Sphinx poecila
        • Sphinx gordius
        • Sphinx pinastri
  • Final Instar Larva Key
  • Hostplant Index
  • Parasitoids and Predators
  • Range
  • General Information
  • Sources and Acknowledgements
  • Other Resources
    • Sphingidae Publication Library
  • Store
  • Donations