SPHINGIDAE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

xylophanes tersa

(linnaeus, 1771)

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Common Name: Tersa Sphinx

Ecology and Life History: This moth is active throughout the growing season, and can be found on the wing from May to November. In the deep south, this moth is active year-round. This species is quite attracted to artificial light, both sexes will come to light with males being more common. This is another Sphingidae species that likes to nectar on plants and can often be seen doing so, they do not seem to respond to bait. Both sexes of this moth look the same, females on average are larger, rounder, and have a noticeably thicker and rounder abdomen. In comparison, males are much more angular with a thinner abdomen. Eggs are laid singly on the leaves of hostplants. They are often deposited on the undersides of leaves near the tips. Young caterpillars tend to feed toward the tops of the plants, with larger final instars being found lower down and deeper into the plant. Due to the nature of these larvae to wander around the plant or to neighboring plants, it is not unlikely to find small or large caterpillars anywhere on the plant. This larva can have a green form or a brown form.

Habitat and Searching for Larvae: This species is often found on Pentas lanceolaria, but also feeds on other plants in the Rubiaceae. Younger instar larvae are often spotted feeding at the tops of plants, sometimes within the flower clusters of Pentas (not feeding on the flowers though). Older larvae are a bit more subtle in their placement, being lower and deeper in the plants. All instars can be found relatively easily. This larva is fond of wandering to neighboring plants, particularly if there are many Pentas or similar hosts in a cluster. Due to this, it is not uncommon to find multiple instars on the same plant all feeding in different locations. This species is not gregarious and does not feed in groups. This is a species of suburban yards, it flourishes in these areas due to the high concentration of hostplants like Pentas. They are often seen nectaring and laying eggs on hostplants at dusk. Larvae can be found from May to November throughout most of their range, larvae can be found year-round in the Deep South. The larvae of this species fluoresce quite brightly under UV light making them easy to spot.

Rearing Notes: Eggs are easy to obtain from wild females. Place the female in a screen cage with host material and food and she will likely deposit a number of eggs. Larvae are easy to rear on living hostplants but are a bit harder on cut hostplant. They will accept cut hostplant, but it must be fresh and replaced every other day. They are rather polyphagous, eating any of their known hostplants, most of the rearing done here has been using Pentas lanceolaria (1). The larvae do not seem to suffer diseases or deaths in captivity, especially when rearing in a screen enclosure on live hostplant. They are not sensitive to crowding when being reared on living host. If they’re being reared in tupperware, younger larvae (L1-2) can be kept fairly densely, but older larvae must be kept separate. They do not tolerate excessive humidity well and their enclosures must be kept clean. Sleeving is a perfectly good way to rear these larvae, care must be taken when they reach the prepupal stage as they will attempt to cocoon at the bottom of the sleeve. Unlike many Sphingidae, pupation occurs in a loosely spun silken cocoon on the soil surface or just under it. They will often use dried leaves or other plant debris in their cocoon. The pupa is loosely situated within this cocoon and can be easily removed. 

Host plants:
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Picture
(C) Teá Montagna
Picture
L5 (C) Ashley Bosarge
Picture
Adult Description: This is another distinctive moth. The forewing length is 32-36mm (2). It is brown in color with very thin forewings. There are brown streaks on the forewing, the most obvious run diagonally from the apex of the wing to the base of the wing. The thorax is brown with orange and white parallel lines on either side. The abdomen is bicolored, brown on the dorsal surface and yellow on the sides. The hindwing is black with various amounts of yellow triangles on the bottom edge. The anal angle is often totally yellow. The yellow triangles on the hindwings separate this species out from Xylophanes libya found in Florida.

Larval Description:
L1: This is a small green hornworm with a black horn.
L3: At this stage the larva develops the defining markings needed for ID. The enlarged first few abdominal segments have a fake eyespot on them. There is a pale streak that runs through this eyespot and down the sides of the larva intersecting with 6 additional smaller spots.
L5:  The larva is generally green or brown, but can be much darker in color. There is a distinctive set of eyespots on the thoracic segment, followed by six more pairs on the abdominal segments. These abdominal eyespots are absent in Xylophanes pluto.  The horn is black.
The gallery to the left contains photos of Xylophanes tersa 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 Xylophanes tersa larval and pupal stages. If you have a photo that you would like to submit to us, please contact us.
(C) Ashley Bosarge
(C) William J. Lucas, Jr.
(C) Jeir Ortega Galvan
(C) Ken Childs
(C) Ken Childs
(C) Ken Childs
(C) Ken Childs
(C) Ken Childs
(C) Teá Montagna
(C) Teá Montagna
(C) Jean Haxaire
(C) Roberta Blair
(C) Roberta Blair
(C) Roberta Blair
(C) Teá Montagna
(C) Teá Montagna
(C) Teá Montagna
(C) Teá Montagna
L5 (C) The Caterpillar Lab
L4 (C) Ashley Bosarge
L4 (C) Ashley Bosarge
L5 (C) Ashley Bosarge
(C) Ashley Bosarge
L5 (C) Teá Montagna
L5 (C) Teá Montagna
L4 (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
Pupa - (C) Teá Montagna
Egg - (C) Melanie Long
L3 - (C) Teá Montagna
L4 - (C) Teá Montagna
L4 - (C) Teá Montagna
L4 - (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 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