Acanthosphinx

genus of insects

Acanthosphinx is a monotypic(meaning it only has one subclass) genus of moth. It is in the family Sphingidae. It was erected by Per Olof Christopher Aurivillius in 1891.

Acanthosphinx
Acanthosphinx guessfeldti
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Sphingidae
Tribe: Smerinthini
Genus: Acanthosphinx
Aurivillius, 1891
Species:
A. guessfeldti
Binomial name
Acanthosphinx guessfeldti
(Dewitz, 1879)[1]
Synonyms
  • Ambulyx guessfeldti Dewitz, 1879
  • Acanthosphinx guessfeldti gigas Aurivillius, 1891
  • Acanthosphinx guessfeldti eothina Tams, 1930

It has one species, which is Acanthosphinx guessfeldti, the widow sphinx. It was described by Hermann Dewitz in 1879.[2] It is seen in forests in Sierra Leone to the Congo, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda.[3]

Each forewing is 57–70 mm in length.

The larvae eat Bridelia micrantha.[4]

References change

  1. "CATE Creating a Taxonomic eScience - Sphingidae". Cate-sphingidae.org. Retrieved 2011-11-01.[permanent dead link]
  2. Savela, Markku. "Acanthosphinx Aurivillius, 1891". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Archived from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  3. Carcasson, R. H. (1967). "Revised Catalogue of the African Sphingidae (Lepidoptera) with Descriptions of the East African species". Journal of the East Africa Natural History Society and National Museum. 26 (3): 1–173. Archived from the original on 2021-11-25. Retrieved 2022-03-01 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  4. De Prins, J.; De Prins, W. (2017). "Euphorbiaceae: Bridelia micrantha (Hochst.) Baill". Afromoths. Archived from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2017.