Wildlife: A Sphynx Moth Is Seen In The Northern Jungles Of Guatemala Royalty-Free Stock Image

A Florestan Sphynx Moth Manduca florestan is seen in Nakum Archaeological site, in Peten, Guatemala. The Florestan sphynx, is a moth of the fami Sphingidae. The species was first described by Caspar Stoll in 1782. It is found from the mountains of southern Arizona, New Mexico, and the lower Rio Grande Valley of southern Texas through Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and the rest of Central America south into South America at least to Paraguay, Bolivia, Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil and Surinam. The wingspan is 99–110mm. It is similar in appearance to several other members of the genus Manduca, but a number of differences distinguish it from Manduca lichenea, to which it most close compares. There is a great deal of individual variation. The forewings have a greenish tint and prominent black discal streaks. There is one generation with adults on wing from late June to ear August in the United States. In Bolivia, adults have been reported in March and again from October to December, while adults are on wing year round in Costa Rica. They feed on the nectar of various flowers, including Plumeria rubra in Costa Rica. The larvae feed on a variety of plants. In Brazil, larvae have been reported on Lantana camara, Pyrostegia venusta and Vitex megapotamica.