Lapara bombycoides

Lapara bombycoides, the northern pine sphinx is a moth of the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Francis Walker in 1856.

Northern pine sphinx
Male, dorsal view
Male, ventral view
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Sphingidae
Genus: Lapara
Species:
L. bombycoides
Binomial name
Lapara bombycoides
Walker, 1856[1]
Synonyms
  • Ellema harrisi Clemens, 1859
  • Ellema pineum Lintner, 1872

Distribution

It is known from coniferous and mixed coniferous forests in southern Canada (Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island) as well as north-eastern Alberta and central Saskatchewan. In the eastern half of the United States it is found from extreme north-eastern North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York north through Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine and south in the Appalachian Mountains from New Jersey to western North Carolina, with scattered ranges as far south as Florida.

Description

The wingspan is 45–60 mm.[2] It is a variable species. The forewing upperside is darker than in similar Lapara coniferarum and the antemedian lines are more distinct.

Biology

Adults are on wing from mid-June to mid-July in Canada.

The larvae feed on various pine species, including Pinus resinosa, Pinus rigida and Pinus sylvestris as well as Larix laricina.

References
  1. "Sphingidae Taxonomic Inventory: Lapara bombycoides". sphingidae.myspecies.info. Retrieved 2023-06-25.
  2. "Silkmoths". Silkmoths.bizland.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2011-11-01.


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