Amorpha juglandis
| Walnut sphinx | |
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| Species: | A. juglandis
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| Binomial name | |
| Amorpha juglandis (J. E. Smith, 1797)[1]
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Amorpha juglandis (walnut sphinx) is a moth of the family Sphingidae.
Distribution
It is native to North America, where it is distributed from the Atlantic Ocean to the Rocky Mountains in Canada and the United States.
Description
The wingspan is 45–75 mm.
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Amorpha juglandis ♂ -
Amorpha juglandis ♂ △ -
Amorpha juglandis ♀ -
Amorpha juglandis ♀ △
Biology
The adult moth is nocturnal, active mainly during the early hours of the night.
The caterpillar feeds on alder (Alnus), hickory (Carya), hazelnut (Corylus), beech (Fagus), walnut (Juglans), and hop-hornbeam (Ostrya) species. When attacked by a bird, the caterpillar produces a high-pitched whistle by expelling air from pair of spiracles in its abdomen. This antipredator adaptation may startle the bird, which may then reject the caterpillar.[2]
References
- ^ "CATE Creating a Taxonomic eScience - Sphingidae". Cate-sphingidae.org. Retrieved 2011-11-01.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Fullard, James H.; Napoleone, Nadia (2001). "Diel flight periodicity and the evolution of auditory defences in the Macrolepidoptera". Animal Behaviour. 62 (2): 349. doi:10.1006/anbe.2001.1753.
Further reading
- Bura, V. L.; Rohwer, V. G.; Martin, P. R.; Yack, J. E. (2010). "Whistling in caterpillars (Amorpha juglandis, Bombycoidea): Sound-producing mechanism and function". Journal of Experimental Biology. 214 (Pt 1): 30–7. doi:10.1242/jeb.046805. PMID 21147966.
- Knight, K. (2010). "Whistling Caterpillars Startle Birds". Journal of Experimental Biology. 214 (Pt 14): ii. doi:10.1242/jeb.054155. PMID 21834205.
External links
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