Pacific Green Sphinx Moth - Hodges#7872
Proserpinus lucidus
This record describes Proserpinus lucidus (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
- Proserpinus
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
From Mexico through the Pacific Coast states to Washington and into Idaho.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larvae feed on plants in the Evening Primrose Family, Onagraceae , such as Camissonia , Clarkia , and Oenothera .
Life History
male female
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: The epithet lucidus is Latin for "clear, bright, shining".
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Proserpinus lucidus. 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 Pacific Green Sphinx Moth - Hodges#7872 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Tony; Additional contributions by Bob Patterson , john and jane balaban , Chuck Entz , Mike Quinn , Aaron Schusteff
Frequently Asked Questions About Pacific Green Sphinx Moth - Hodges#7872
Where is Pacific Green Sphinx Moth - Hodges#7872 found?
Range: From Mexico through the Pacific Coast states to Washington and into Idaho.
What does Pacific Green Sphinx Moth - Hodges#7872 eat?
The diet of the Pacific Green Sphinx Moth - Hodges#7872 includes Larvae feed on plants in the Evening Primrose Family, Onagraceae , such as Camissonia , Clarkia , and Oenothera ..
What is the life cycle of a Pacific Green Sphinx Moth - Hodges#7872?
male female