Enyo ocypete - Hodges#7852
Enyo ocypete
This record describes Enyo ocypete (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
- Dilophonotini
- Genus
- Enyo
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Southern United States into neotropics. Suggested by Heppner as a species straying into, but not breeding in, Florida. Tuttle (2007) mentions specimens from the Florida Keys and the possibility that they might be breeding there.
Seasonal Activity
Adults are on wing year round in the tropics, southern Florida and Louisiana. They are on wing from August to November in the northern part of the range.
Diet and Behavior
Life History
Larvae probably feed on Vitis tiliifolia and other Vitaceae and Dilleniaceae species, such as Vitis, Cissus rhombifolia and Ampelopsis, Tetracera volubilis, Curatella americana, Tetracera hydrophila and Doliocarpus multiflorus. Ludwigia of the Onagraceae family might also be a host plant.
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: From Greek okypetes (ωκυπετης)- "swift-flying"
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Enyo ocypete. 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.
Frequently Asked Questions About Enyo ocypete - Hodges#7852
How big is Enyo ocypete - Hodges#7852?
Wingspan: 60 mm
Where is Enyo ocypete - Hodges#7852 found?
Range: Southern United States into neotropics. Suggested by Heppner as a species straying into, but not breeding in, Florida. Tuttle (2007) mentions specimens from the Florida Keys and the possibility that they might be breeding there.
When is Enyo ocypete - Hodges#7852 active?
Enyo ocypete - Hodges#7852: seasonal activity - Adults are on wing year round in the tropics, southern Florida and Louisiana. They are on wing from August to November in the northern part of the range..
What is the life cycle of a Enyo ocypete - Hodges#7852?
Larvae probably feed on Vitis tiliifolia and other Vitaceae and Dilleniaceae species, such as Vitis, Cissus rhombifolia and Ampelopsis, Tetracera volubilis, Curatella americana, Tetracera hydrophila and Doliocarpus multiflorus. Ludwigia of the Onagraceae family might also be a host plant.