Hawkmoths of Brazil by Alan Martin
Aellopos
See also the Photo Gallery or Pinned Specimens or return to the Aellopos Key
Aellopos tantalus tantalus (Linnaeus, 1758) Common name: Tantalus sphinx
Original description: Sphinx tantalus Linnaeus 1758. Syst. Nat. (Edn 10). 1: 493
Synonymous species: Macroglossa sisyphus (Burmeister, 1855); Sphinx ixion (Linnaeus, 1758)
Type specimen locality: calidrus regionibus (South America ?)
Distribution: widely distributed from Mexico to Paraguay, but there has been confusion with A. clavipes. In Brazil it has been reported from the North, West-
Aellopos clavipes clavipes (Rothschild & Jordan, 1903) Common name: Clavipes Sphinx
Original description: Sesia clavipes Rothschild & Jordan, 1903. Novit. zool.. 9 (suppl.): 436.
Synonymous species: none
Type specimen locality: Mexico, Guadalajara
Distribution: the range is from southern USA to Argentina, and in Brazil in the South and South-
Aellopos fadus (Cramer, 1775) Common name: Fadus Sphinx
Original description: Sphinx fadus Cramer, 1775. Uitlandsche Kapellen (Papillons exot.). 1: 95, pl. 61, fig. C.
Synonymous species: Macroglossum annulosum (Swainson, 1823); Macroglossa balteata (Kirtland, 1851)
Type specimen locality: Surinam
Distribution: found across the Neotropical region from the southern USA to Argentina and Paraguay, and has been recorded in all 5 Brazilian regions.
Aellopos titan titan (Cramer, 1777) Common name: Titan or White-
Original description: Sphinx titan Cramer, 1777. Uitlandsche Kapellen (Papillons exot.). 2: 73, Pl. 142, fig.F.
Synonymous species: Aellopos titan aguacana (Gehlen, 1944)
Type specimen locality: Surinam
Distribution: a common species throughout its range from the USA and the West Indies and across most of South America, and has been recorded in all 5 regions of Brazil. This species is a strong flier and has been recorded across the eastern United States and even into southern Canada, and breeding has been confirmed in south Texas (Tuttle, 2007). It is replaced in Cuba by the subspecies Aellopos titan cubana (Clark, 1936) in Cuba.
Aellopos ceculus (Cramer, 1777) Common name: none
Original description: Sphinx ceculus Cramer, 1777. Uitlandsche Kapellen (Papillons exot.). 2: 80, pl. 146, fig. G.
Synonymous species: Macroglossum fasciatum (Swainson, 1823); Sesia gehleni (Closs, 1922)
Type specimen locality: Surinam
Distribution: recorded widely across Central and South America from Mexico to northern Argentina. A. ceculus has been recorded in all the regions of Brazil.