Ello sphinx Facts for Kids

The Ello sphinx (scientific name: Erinnyis ello) is a type of moth that belongs to a family called Sphingidae. It's also known as the ello sphinx moth. This moth was first officially described by a famous scientist named Carl Linnaeus way back in 1758! You can find these moths in many places, from Argentina in South America, all through Central America, and even up into the United States, as far north as Nevada.

Quick facts for kids Ello sphinx

Male - MHNT

Male underside - MHNT
Scientific classification
Genus:	Erinnyis
Species:	ello
Synonyms
Sphinx ello Linnaeus, 1758 Erinnyis cinifera Zikán, 1934 Erinnyis ello omorfia (Mooser, 1942)

What Does the Ello Sphinx Look Like?
Life and Habits of the Ello Sphinx
Different Types of Ello Sphinx
Images for kids
See also

What Does the Ello Sphinx Look Like?

The Ello sphinx is a medium-sized moth. Its wingspan (how wide it is when its wings are spread out) is usually between 75 and 85 millimeters. That's about 3 to 3.3 inches!

The moth's body has gray and black stripes. You can tell male and female Ello sphinx moths apart by their front wings.

The female's front wings are light gray. They have a few dark dots near the outer edge.
The male's front wings are dark gray and brown. They have a black stripe that runs from the base of the wing to its tip.

For both male and female moths, the back wings are bright orange. They also have a wide black border around the edge.

Life and Habits of the Ello Sphinx

Adult Ello sphinx moths are active all year long in warm places like the tropics and southern Florida. They fly around and feed on the sweet liquid called nectar from flowers. Some of their favorite flowers include common soapwort (Saponaria officinalis) and Chinese violet (Asystasia gangetica).

The young Ello sphinx, called a larva or caterpillar, eats leaves from many different plants. These plants are called "host plants." Some of the plants they like to eat are:

Papaya (Carica papaya)
Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima)
Mexican jumping bean (Sebastiania pavoniana)
Cnidoscolus urens
Cassava (Manihot esculenta)
Different kinds of guavas (Psidium species)
Saffron plum (Sideroxylon celastrinum)

Sometimes, the Ello sphinx can be attacked by a tiny braconid wasp called Microplitis figueresi. This wasp is a natural enemy that can lay its eggs on the moth's caterpillar.

Different Types of Ello Sphinx

There are two main types, or subspecies, of the Ello sphinx moth:

Erinnyis ello ello: This type is found across the Americas.
Erinnyis ello encantada: This type was discovered in 1962 by Kernbach and lives only in the Galápagos Islands.