Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Lassaux's sphinx
Erinnyis lassauxii (Boisduval, 1859)


Family: Sphingidae
Subfamily: Macroglossinae
Identification: Upperside of forewing is dark brown with gray streaks along the inner margin and a gray patch at the tip of the wing. Upperside of hindwing is dark brown with varying amounts of dark orange at the base.
Wing Span: 3 5/8 - 4 1/8 inches (9.2 - 10.5 cm).
Life History: Fully-grown caterpillars pupate in cocoons spun on the surface of the ground.
Flight: . One flight; from July-October in Arizona and Texas, September in south Florida.
Caterpillar Hosts: Papaya (Carica papaya) in the Caricaceae, Manihot esculenta in the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae), and various plants in the milkweed family (Asclepiadaceae).
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Tropics and subtropics.
Range: Northern Argentina north through Central America, Mexico, and the West Indies to Texas and Arizona. Strays to south Florida.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
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