Yellow-Banded Day Sphinx - Hodges#7877
Proserpinus flavofasciata
This record describes Proserpinus flavofasciata (species). Recorded family: Sphingidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
The upperside of the forewing is medium to dark brown with a faint to distinct white median band. The upperside of the hindwing is dark brown with a wide orange median band which may not reach the inner margin. The moth mimics a bumblebee.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Bombycoidea
- Family
- Sphingidae (Sphinx Moths)
- Subfamily
- Macroglossinae
- Tribe
- Macroglossini
- Genus
- Proserpinus
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Alaska south through British Columbia to Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado, and from British Columbia east across southern Canada to Nova Scotia and Maine.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Proserpinus flavofasciata. 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 Yellow-Banded Day Sphinx - Hodges#7877 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Tony; Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset , anitagould
Frequently Asked Questions About Yellow-Banded Day Sphinx - Hodges#7877
What is Yellow-Banded Day Sphinx - Hodges#7877?
Yellow-Banded Day Sphinx - Hodges#7877 (Proserpinus flavofasciata) is a species in the family Sphingidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Yellow-Banded Day Sphinx - Hodges#7877?
Wingspan: 39-49 mm.
How do you identify Yellow-Banded Day Sphinx - Hodges#7877?
The upperside of the forewing is medium to dark brown with a faint to distinct white median band. The upperside of the hindwing is dark brown with a wide orange median band which may not reach the inner margin. The moth mimics a bumblebee.
Where is Yellow-Banded Day Sphinx - Hodges#7877 found?
Range: Alaska south through British Columbia to Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado, and from British Columbia east across southern Canada to Nova Scotia and Maine.