Manduca paphus
Updated as per AN ANNOTATED CHECKLIST OF THE SPHINGIDAE OF BOLIVIA, October 2007
Updated as per personal communication with Ezequiel Osvaldo Núñez Bustos, Argentina, March 2008
Updated as per personal communication with Ezequiel Bustos (Aguas Blancas, Salta, Argentina, 405m); December 2009
Updated as per personal communication with Ezequiel Nunez Bustos (Osununu Private Reserve, Misiones, Argentina, November 24, 2009); December 2009
Updated as per French Guiana Sphingidae; March 9, 2011
Updated as per CATE Sphingidae (Entre Rios, Argentina; Parana, Brazil); May 21, 2011
Updated as per personal communication with Alexander Buldring (Avanhandava, Sao Paulo, Brazil, January 15, 2013, 19:40): January 30, 2013
Updated as per "A Hawk Moths fauna of southern Maranhão state, Brazil, ... "; NEVA: Jahrgang 34 Heft 3 November 2013; via Jean Haxaire; April 5, 2014
Updated as per personal communication with Sergio D. Ríos Díaz in CATÁLOGO DE LOS SPHINGIDAE (INSECTA: LEPIDOPTERA) DEPOSITADOS EN EL MUSEO NACIONAL DE HISTORIA NATURAL DEL PARAGUAY; sent to me in July 2014 by Sergio D. Ríos Díaz.
Updated as per personal communication with Joanna Rodriguez Ramirez (Chaco, Rio Negro and Neuquen; Argentina), January 21, 2015
Updated as per personal communication with Ezequiel Bustos (Shilap revta. lepid. 43 (172) diciembre, 2015, 615-631 eISSN 2340-4078 ISSN 0300-5267), January 4, 2016
Updated as per personal communication with Diogo Luiz (Buzios, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, November 13, 2016), November 14, 2016

Manduca paphus
(Cramer, 1779) Sphinx

Manduca paphus by John Vriesi.

This site has been created by Bill Oehlke.
Comments, suggestions and/or additional information are welcomed by Bill.

TAXONOMY:

Family: Sphingidae, Latreille, 1802
Subfamily: Sphinginae, Latreille, [1802]
Tribe: Sphingini, Latreille, 1802
Genus: Manduca Hubner, [1807] ...........
Species: sexta paphus (Cramer, 1779)

DISTRIBUTION:

Manduca paphus (approx. wingspan: Males: 110mm; females: 117mm) flies from
Surinam (specimen type locality);
French Guiana: Kaw; SGO, Ant. Mont. Maripas; and
Venezuela to
Brazil: Parana; Sao Paulo: Avanhandava (AB); Rio de Janeiro: Buzios (DL); southern Maranhao;
Paraguay: ;
Argentina: Buenos Aires; Salta; Tucuman; Misiones; Entre Rios; Santa Fe; San Luis; Cordoba; Corrientes; Formosa; Jujuy; La Pampas; Mendoza; Chaco, Rio Negro and Neuquen (JRR) and
Bolivia: Santa Cruz, Ichilo, Buena Vista, Florida, Pampa Grande and La Víbora (450m). I suspect it also flies in Suriname and Guyana.

Once treated as a subspecies of sexta, papus now has full species status. Jean Haxaire

Manduca paphus, Avanhandava, Sao Paulo, Brazil,
January 15, 2013, courtesy of Alexander Buldring.

Manduca paphus, Avanhandava, Sao Paulo, Brazil,
January 15, 2013, courtesy of Alexander Buldring.

"Differs from Manduca sexta sexta in that the forewing upperside white, submarginal band is less prominent, the white bands of the hindwing upperside are purer white; the ground colour of the forewing is variable, but may be as pale as in Manduca sexta caestri." CATE

Manduca paphus, Yacutinga Private Reserve, Misiones Province,
(near border between Argentina and Brazil), February, 2008
courtesy/copyright of Ezequiel Osvaldo Núñez Bustos.

Manduca paphus, Osununu Private Reserve, Misiones Province,
November 24, 2009
courtesy/copyright of Ezequiel Osvaldo Núñez Bustos.

FLIGHT TIMES:

Manduca paphus adults fly from at least April to July in Venezuela. In Bolivia there are records for January, March-April, October-November. Ezequiel Osvaldo Núñez Bustos reports November and February flights in Misiones, Argentina. In French Guiana moths have been reported in April and November. Diogo Luiz reports a November flight in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

ECLOSION:

Pupae probably wiggle to surface from subterranean chambers just prior to eclosion.

SCENTING AND MATING:

Females call in the males with a pheromone released from a gland at the tip of the abdomen. Adults probably take nectar from flowers.

Manduca paphus, Buzios, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
November 13, 2016, courtesy of Diogo Luiz, id by Bill Oehlke.

EGGS, LARVAE, PUPAE:

Larvae feed on tobacco leaves and are considered pests.

Manduca sexta subspecies from Rio Ceballos in Cordoba Province, Argentina,
courtesy of Nigel Venters.

The larva pictured above is from a relatively small Manduca species. Both Jean Marie Cadiou and Jean Haxaire indicate it is probably one of the Manduca sexta subspecies or a new species.

Use your browser "Back" button to return to the previous page.

Return to Sphingidae Index
Return to Sphingini Tribe

This page is brought to you by Bill Oehlke and the WLSS. Pages are on space rented from Bizland. If you would like to become a "Patron of the Sphingidae Site", contact Bill.

Please send sightings/images to Bill. I will do my best to respond to requests for identification help.

Enjoy one of nature's wonderments: Live Saturniidae (Giant Silkmoth) cocoons.


Show appreciation for this site by clicking on flashing butterfly to the left.
The link will take you to a page with links to many insect sites.