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Updated as per personal communication with Johan van't Bosch (Mato
Grosso, Brazil, September 13), March 2008 Updated as per personal communication with Tony James (Gamboa, Panama; June flight), October 2008 Updated as per personal communication with Jose Monzon (Guatemala); May 2009 Updated as per personal communication with Ezequiel Bustos (Aguas Blancas, Salta, Argentina, 405m); December 2009 Updated as per AN ANNOTATED CHECKLIST OF THE SPHINGIDAE OF BOLIVIA, December 2009 Updated as per More, Kitching and Cocucci's Hawkmoths of Argentina 2005, December 2009 Updated as per personal communication with Larry Valentine (Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil, November 2009); December 17, 2009 updated as per personal communication with Gregory Nielsen (Villavicentio, Meta, Colombia, January 15, 2011, 500m); February 6, 2011 Updated as per CATE (Mexico south to northern Argentina and southern Brazil); February 6, 2011 Updated as per personal communication with Ben Trott (Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico); February 27, 2012; January 9, 2013 Updated as per personal communication with Elisabet Mercado, Mexico City, Mexico, September 5, 2012 Updated as per "A Hawk Moths fauna of southern Maranhao state, Brazil, ... "; NEVA: Jahrgang 34 Heft 3 November 2013; via Jean Haxaire; April 5, 2014 Updated as per personal communication with Sergio D. Rios Diaz in CAT�LOGO DE LOS SPHINGIDAE (INSECTA: LEPIDOPTERA) DEPOSITADOS EN EL MUSEO NACIONAL DE HISTORIA NATURAL DEL PARAGUAY; sent to me in July 2014 by Sergio D. Rios Diaz. 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 Richard Land (Pockwood Pond, Tortola, British Virgin Islands, January 2, 2016), February 8, 2016 Updated as per personal communication with Diogo Luiz (adult moth, Nova Iguacu, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, December 4, 2016), December 28, 2016 Updated as per personal communication with Wolfgang Walz (, larva, Pedro Leopoldo, Minas Gerais, Brazil, December 26, 2016), December 28, 2016 Updated as per personal communication with Bruno Moraes, (pupae, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, December 28, 2016), December 28, 2016 Updated as per personal communication with Alves Tavares, (larva to pupa to moth, Parnaiba, Piaui, Brazil, Febrary 22 - March-21, 2019), March 21, 2019 Updated as per personal communication with Fabricio Vilela (mature larva, Foz do Iguacu, Parana, Brazil, April 9, 2019); April 9, 2019 Updated as per personal communication with Joao Amarildo Ranguetti (mature larva, Massaranduba, Santa Catarina, Brazil, January 3, 2019); April 9, 2019 Updated as per personal communication with Galerita Janus (Pachylia ficus, Cerro Jefe, Panama, Panama, July, 2016); March 13, 2020 Updated as per personal communication with Frank and Anna West (Madre de Dios and Junin, Peru; Rondonia, Brazil; Izabal, Guatemala); January 20, 2021 |
This site has been created by Bill Oehlke.
Comments, suggestions and/or additional information are welcomed by Bill.
TAXONOMY:
Family: Sphingidae, Latreille, 1802 |
Pachylia ficus male, 118mm, Pampa Hermosa Lodge, Junin, Peru,
December, 2008, 4000ft, courtesy of Frank & Anna West.
Pachylia ficus male, 115mm, Atalaya, Madre de Deos, Peru,
November, 2007, 1600ft, courtesy of Frank & Anna West.
Pachylia ficus male, 111mm, Frenza Rancho Grande, Rondonia, Brasil,
August, 1993, courtesy of Frank & Anna West.
Greg Nielsen sends the image of this very "green" specimen from Colombia.
Pachylia ficus, Villavicentio, Km 13 via AcaciasMeta, Colombia,
04�03�55.0 N 073�41�87.0 W, 500m, January 15, 2011, lfw=55mm, courtesy of Gregory Nielsen.
Visit Pachylia ficus, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil, November 2009, courtesy of Larry Valentine.
The upperside of the forewing is orangish brown with a paler patch along the costa at the tip.The upperside of the hindwing is orange to orangish brown with a black outer border, a black median band, and a white spot on the outer margin near the body. Pachylia ficus Yasuni, Ecuador, (September 10, 2002 - 11:55 PM) in typical resting pose, courtesy of Steve Graser. |
Pachylia ficus, 145mm, Cerro Jefe, Panama, Panama,
July 5, 2016, 900m, courtesy of Galerita Janus, id by Bill Oehlke>
Tony James reports a June flight in Panama. Galerita Janus reports an early July flight in Panama.
Ezequiel Bustos reports it from Argentina: Salta (405m).
Alexander von Buldring reports a February flight in Paraiba, Brazil.
Ben Trott reports a December 13, 2012, eclosion of stock from Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico, about three weeks after pupation.
Pachylia ficus, Joao Pessoa, Paraiba, Brazil,
40m, February 26, 2009, 8:40pm, coourtesy of
Alexander von Buldring.
Pachylia ficus female, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico,
130mm, December 13, 2012, courtesy of Ben Trott.
Pachylia ficus female (verso), Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico,
130mm, December 13, 2012, courtesy of Ben Trott;
eclosion two and a half to three weeks from pupation date.
Pachylia ficus Pockwood Pond, Tortola, British Virgin Islands,
January 2, 2016, courtesy of Richard Land.
EGGS, LARVAE, PUPAE:Females feed and lay eggs on fig leaves, especially Strangler Fig (Ficus aurea). Ficus carica, Ficus microcarpa, Ficus religiosa, Ficus pumila, Ficus gamelleira, Ficus prinoides, Ficus pumila and Artocarpus integrifolia are also listed as hosts. Jean Haxaire: Ficus spp. and other Moraceae. In Costa Rica, on Ficus sp., Brosimum sp., Castilla sp., and Maclura sp."Larvae pupate in cocoons spun amongst leaf litter. There are several colour morphs. Image, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, April 2004, courtesy of Lee Snyder. |
Pachylia ficus, Pompano Beach, April 12, 2007, courtesy of Chris Marino.
Visit additional Pachylia ficus images by Chris.
Pachylia ficus fifth instar (brown form), Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico,
courtesy of Ben Trott.
Pachylia ficus fifth instar (blue-green form), Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico,
courtesy of Ben Trott.
Pachylia ficus fifth instar, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico,
courtesy of Ben Trott.
Pachylia ficus fifth instar prepupal, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico,
courtesy of Ben Trott.
Pachylia ficus fifth instar prepupal, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico,
courtesy of Ben Trott.
Pachylia ficus fifth instar prepupal, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico,
courtesy of Ben Trott.
I replied:
"Elisabet,
"I am pretty sure it is larva of Pachylia ficus, the Fig Sphinx.
You can try offering it some fig leaves, still affixed to twig, but I suspect it is done feeding and is ready to pupate.
My Mexico Sphingidae site is at
http://www.silkmoths.bizland.com/Sphinx/Mexsphinx.htm
"Here is an article that explains how to care for found larvae http://www.silkmoths.bizland.com/ManducasextaAugust2008tw.htm
The species is different and the food plants are different, but general procedures are same with same result.
Good luck. Please send a picture of the adult moth when it emerges, probably in three to five weeks.
"Bill Oehlke"
Pachylia ficus fifth instar, Mexico City, Mexico,
September 5, 2012, courtesy of Elisabet Mercado.
Pachylia ficus pupae, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
December 28, 2016, courtesy of Bruno Moraes.
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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 some of nature's wonderments: Saturniidae cocoons. Cocoons of the giant silkmoths may be purchased in the fall and winter. Big and beautiful giant silk moths will emerge in spring/summer. Read Actias luna rearing article. Additional online help available.