Hawkmoths of  Brazil  by Alan Martin

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IDENTIFICATION KEY: MANDUCAS


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1.  Manducas with yellow spots on the abdomen

M. janira: very similar to brasiliensis below, but usually with shorter and broader wings and with stronger zig-zag markings on the inner basal area of the forewing. Both janira and brasiliensis have only been recorded in South and South-east Brazil whereas the similar pairing of clarki and lucetius are found in Northern Brazil.


Wing: 43-60 mm


M. brasiliensis: see janira above. Dissection is required for definitive separation.


Wing: 38-63 mm


M. boliviana: only known in Brazil from two specimens taken in Mato Grosso in dry lowland seasonal forest. Similar to the above but smaller and much lighter coloured. Male forewing is 44 mm.



M. clarki: very similar to lucetius below but usually with shorter and broader wings. Both clarki and lucetius have only been recorded in Northern Brazil.


Wing: 49-56 mm




M. lucetius: see clarki above.


Wing: 38-61



M. exiguus: recently split from contracta and found in South and South-east Brazil. More uniform than contracta and lacking the strong forewing contrast described for that species, more resembling diffissa but diffissa lacks the strongly waved black post-medial line on the forewing.


Wing: 41-46 mm


M. contracta: most specimens show a strong contrast between the black medial area and the yellowish-ochre colouration of the rest of the wing, and especially against the inner margins of the basal and discal areas. The wings are generally longer and broader than

M. exiguus.  


Wing: 40-59 mm


M. tucumana: an Andean species with just a single Brazilian record from Rio Grande do Sul. Note the strong and long apical streak which contrasts with the generally paler apical area. Note also the pale inner discal area which lacks the zig-zag markings of similar species.


Wing: 40-50 mm


M. duquefi: reported only from Maranhao state in Brazil. The highly contrasted forewing looks distinctive but there are few specimens or descriptions available.


M. diffissa: One of the most common species in this group. Note the distinctive white zig-zag lines that run parallel with the outer margin of the forewing. The underneath of the abdomen is white. The nominate race and 2 subspecies occur in Brazil (see below).


Wing: 37-60mm


M. paphus: generally more uniform grey/brown that diffissa and with a broader hindwing postdiscal band. The underneath of the abdomen is speckled brown whereas diffissa is white.


Wing: 36-59 mm





M. hannibal: the species is easily identified by the pale fringe to the outer margin of the forewing. The nominate race occurs in north, north-east and central Brazil and the subspecies M. h. hamilcar in south and south-east Brazil.


Wing: 47-63 mm

2.  Other Manducas

M. lefeburii lefeburii:  the most common species of the group and separated by the short curved apical streak and the broad forewing band that runs from the costa to the outer margin. Unlike the others, this band does not split into two lines when it reaches the outer margin.   


Wing: 42-58 mm


M. incisa: note the long straight apical streak, and how the forewing band splits into two lines near the outer margin. Incisa also has a narrow black line down the centre of the abdomen.


Wing: 39-56 mm


M. prestoni:  similar to incisa but the forewing band is incomplete. Note also the lack of contrast between the base colours of the forewing whereas incisa is paler in the tornal area.


Wing: 51-55 mm



M. herbini: similar to prestoni but smaller and with a narrower forewing band. Only recorded from Matto Grosso (West-central region).


Wing: 43-50 mm


M. florestan: very distinctive forewing pattern with an orange discal spot, however it may in future be split into several species including a small form from the coast of Santa Catarina and Parana.


Wing: 43-70 mm


M. vestalis: superficially similar to florestan but generally grey and cream whereas florestan is browner. Only recorded from the North of Brazil.


Wing 49-70 mm



M. corumbensis: generally greyish with a small discal spot and a pale band across the hindwing.


Wing: 49-59 mm



M. albiplaga: a very large Manduca species. Broad white patches in the post-discal area of the forewing and pale first 2 segments  of the abdomen separate albiplaga from all the other species found in the region.


Wing: 60-82 mm


M. leucospila: the reddish square patch on the inner margin of the discal area of the forewing is distinctive. Only recorded from the North and South-east of Brazil.


Wing: 41-56 mm




M. dalica: predominently reddish forewings and a small white triangular patch above the discal spot and white in the apical area. The nominate species occurs in the North of Brazil and the subspecies M. d. anthina is found in South and South-east Brazil and is paler with usually a larger white apical area and more white mottling along the forewing outer margins.


Wing: 51-65 mm




M. rustica rustica: note the double zig-zag line that crosses the upper discal area of the forewing.


Wing: 46-69 mm



M. fosteri: generally greyish forewings with a broad white band across the post-discal area and a white apical patch. Only one record from Rio Grande do Sul (Southern region).


Wing: 64-70 mm




M. brunalba: the dark brown centre of the forewing and white border on the apical side is distinctive.


Wing: 48-55 mm



M. lichenea: very variable but rich dark green markings on the forewings when fresh which soon fade to a buff brown colour. Only found in South and South-east Brazil.


Wing: 42-57 mm



M. gueneei: generally greyer than lichenea but also very variable although without the greenish tinge. There is some suggestion that gueneei is just a variation of lichenea and not a true species.


Wing: 44-53 mm



M. armatipes: similar to lichenea but with a more extensively grey upper hindwing and with more prominent and dentate forewing median bands. Only found in the South of Brazil.




M. manducoides: very dark forewings with a broad white zig-zag band that crosses the post-discal area.  Note also the extensive white basal area of the hindwings.


Wing: 44-52 mm




M. violaalba: the white hindwings are distinctive.


Wing: 36-41 mm

Manduca diffissa subspecies

The nominate species M. d. diffissa is found in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and the extreme south of Brazil but is replaced in South and South-east Brazil by M. d. petuniae. The subspecies M. d. tropicalis is found from Colombia to Bolivia and in the North and North-east areas of Brazil.  


Diffissa is the palest and most uniform of the subspecies, and tropicalis is the darkest.


Wing: 37-60mm


M.d.dalica

M.d.anthina

M.h.hannibal

M.h.hamilcar

M.d.diffissa

M.d.petuniae

M.d.tropicalis