Ceratomia amyntor

Ceratomia amyntor

Elm sphinx, Four-horned sphinx

Kingdom
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Class
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Genus
SPECIES
Ceratomia amyntor

Ceratomia amyntor, the elm sphinx or four-horned sphinx, is a North American moth in the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Carl Geyer in 1835. It has a wingspan of.mw-parser-output.frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output.frac.num,.mw-parser-output.frac.den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output.frac.den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output.sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);clip-path:polygon(0px 0px,0px 0px,0px 0px);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}3+1⁄4-4+1⁄2 inches (8.2 - 11.5 cm). As the name suggests, the larvae (caterpillars) feed on elm trees (Ulmus), but they can also be found feeding on birch (Betula), basswood (Tilia), and cherry (Prunus). When the caterpillars are ready, they crawl to the bottom of the host tree, where they crawl underneath the soil and pupate and may overwinter underground if late enough into the year. Vegetable growers should be aware of this larvae due to its insatiable appetite. One of these larvae are capable in devouring huge amounts of plant's foliage and even succulent stems.

Distribution

Geography

C. amyntor can be found from Nova Scotia west to Alberta and western North Dakota and Colorado; south Florida reaching into the Gulf Coast, Georgia, Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico.

Biome

Habits and Lifestyle

Diet and Nutrition

Mating Habits

C. amyntor adults fly as a single brood in the northern portions of their range from June to July. There are two broods further south, flying later into the year, and five broods have been confirmed in Louisiana from March to October.

Population

Population number

The species is not threatened.

References

1. Ceratomia amyntor Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceratomia_amyntor

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