Darapsa versicolor
Species of moth
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Darapsa versicolor, the hydrangea sphinx, is a moth species of the family Sphingidae that inhabits eastern North America, often in wetlands. It was first described by Thaddeus William Harris in 1839.
| Hydrangea sphinx | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Sphingidae |
| Genus: | Darapsa |
| Species: | D. versicolor |
| Binomial name | |
| Darapsa versicolor | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Its wingspan can reach 58 to 80 mm, and its forewings are green brown with curved white patches. In the northern portion of its range there is one flight from June to July and in the southern range it is seen during the warm months.
The caterpillar of this species feeds on wild hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens), buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), and water-willow (Decodon verticillatus).[3]
