Grote's sphinx - Hodges#7867
Cautethia grotei
This record describes Cautethia grotei (species). Recorded family: Sphingidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Bombycoidea
- Family
- Sphingidae (Sphinx Moths)
- Subfamily
- Macroglossinae
- Tribe
- Macroglossini
- Genus
- Cautethia
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Tropical, including central and southern Florida
Seasonal Activity
Year-round
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Caterpillars: Chiococca alba , a native tropical plant with many common names: milkberry, David's milkberry, West Indian milkberry, snowberry, cahinca
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: No doubt named after Augustus Radcliffe Grote , British entomologist
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Cautethia grotei. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.
Ecological role of the group
Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.
Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Grote's sphinx - Hodges#7867 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Alan Chin Lee; Additional contributions by Chuck Entz , Abigail Parker , teakh
Frequently Asked Questions About Grote's sphinx - Hodges#7867
Where is Grote's sphinx - Hodges#7867 found?
Range: Tropical, including central and southern Florida
What does Grote's sphinx - Hodges#7867 eat?
The diet of the Grote's sphinx - Hodges#7867 includes Caterpillars: Chiococca alba , a native tropical plant with many common names: milkberry, David's milkberry, West Indian milkberry, snowberry, cahinca.
When is Grote's sphinx - Hodges#7867 active?
Grote's sphinx - Hodges#7867: seasonal activity - Year-round.