DISTRIBUTION:

Isognathus caricae (Wing span: males: 94mm; females: 104mm), flies from
Costa Rica to
Colombia: Meta: Villavicencio (GN);
Venezuela: Suapure;
French Guiana: St. Laurent du Maroni; TBA, Saint-Georges l'Oyopok
Bolivia: Santa Cruz;
Argentina: Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Corrientes, Entre Rios, Misiones; and
Brazil: Minas Gerais: Belo Horizonte (BM); Bahia; Rio Grande do Norte: Extemoz (FO); southern Maranhao; Rio de Janeiro (PW); with "America" given as the specimen type locality. Carlot Didier reports them from
French Guiana.

Peter Waniek confirms it from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with the beautiful image below.

Isognathus caricae, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
February 20, 2016, courtesy of Peter Waniek, id by Bill Oehlke.

This is the only Isognathus species that has the dark marginal band of the hindwing upperside being replaced by a series of black streaks along the veins. CATE

The forewing has two orangey-brown patches connected below the cell mark, and a smaller basal patch along the inner margin. Otherwise forewings are dark grey. The orangey markings are especially prominent in the fresh image supplied by Peter Waniek.

Many thanks to Greg Nielsen who supplies the beautiful image below, confirming a presence in Colombia.

Isognathus caricae, Colombia, Dept. Meta, Km 13 via Acacias, Villavicencio,
04°03’55.0 N 073°41’87.0 W at 500m, photo G. Nielsen VIII-7-2014

Subspecies Isognathus caricae rainermarxi Eitschberger, 1999, flies in Peru: Amazonas; and it may be this subspecies that flies in the more southerly nations listed above.

Isognathus caricae male, Costa Rica, courtesy of Dan Janzen.

FLIGHT TIMES:

There are probably several flights throughout the year. The specimen courtesy of Frederik Goussey was taken in November. Images from Rio Grande do Norte were taken April 26, 2018.

Isognathus caricae, Extremoz, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil,
April 26, 2018, 18:38, courtesy of Francierlem Oliveira,
inaccurate digital repair to thorax by Bill Oehlke.

ECLOSION:

Moths emerge from pupae in thin-walled cocoons under leaf litter within 8-24 days of pupation.

Isognathus caricae, Extremoz, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil,
April 26, 2018, 18:38, courtesy of Francierlem Oliveira,
inaccurate digital repair to thorax by Bill Oehlke.

SCENTING AND MATING:

Females call in the males with a pheromone released from a gland at the tip of the abdomen. Adults nectar at flowers, including petunia.

EGGS, LARVAE, PUPAE: Females probably lay eggs on leaves of Apocynacea. Himatanthus obovatus, Allamanda cathartica and Allamanda schottii have been reported as a host. Larvae have long tails; colouration suggests they are unpalatable to birds.

Dark prepupal Isognathus caricae larva, French Guiana,
courtesy of Antoine Guyonnet

Isognathus caricae moth from larva above, St. Laurent du Maroni, French Guiana,
courtesy of Antoine Guyonnet

Isognathus caricae final instar, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
April 17, 2018, courtesy of Bruno Moraes.

The pupae are also quite colourful, and, I suspect, are very lively. Moths generaly emerge witin 8-24 days of pupation.

Return to Sphingidae Index
Return to Dilophonotini Tribe

Isognathus caricae, Bahia, Brazil, courtesy of Matthew Harvey,
id by Bill Oehlke, confirmed by Jean Haxaire.

Gregory Nielsen sends the following three images taken of I. caricae larvae feeding on an ornamaental Allamande in his yard. Gregory notes the greatly reduced red dorsal markings in the third image.

Isognathus caricae final instar, Villavicencio, Meta, Colombia,
December 3, 2020, courtesy of Gregory Nielsen.

Isognathus caricae final instar, Villavicencio, Meta, Colombia,
December 3, 2020, courtesy of Gregory Nielsen.

Isognathus caricae final instar, Villavicencio, Meta, Colombia,
December 3, 2020, courtesy of Gregory Nielsen.