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Clark's sphinx facts for kids

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Clark's sphinx
Proserpinus clarkiae – Clark's Day Sphinx Moth (14394242879).jpg
Scientific classification
Synonyms
  • Pterogon clarkiae Boisduval, 1852
  • Lepisesia victoria Grote, 1874

Proserpinus clarkiae, or Clark's sphinx, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Jean Baptiste Boisduval in 1852. It is known from British Columbia and Washington south through California to Baja California, east to Idaho, Wyoming and Utah. The habitat consists of oak woodland and pine-oak woodland in foothills.

Description

The wingspan is 30–38 mm. The forewing underside basal orange colour is vestigial or absent. The hindwing upperside is pale orange or yellowish and the marginal band of the hindwing is black.

  • Proserpinus clarkiae MHNT CUT 2010 0 11 Lime Kiln Canyon San Benito Co. female dorsal

    Female

  • Proserpinus clarkiae MHNT CUT 2010 0 11 Lime Kiln Canyon San Benito Co. female ventral

    Female underside

  • Proserpinus clarkiae MHNT CUT 2010 0 11 White Pass (Washington) male dorsal

    Male

  • Proserpinus clarkiae MHNT CUT 2010 0 11 White Pass (Washington) male ventral

    Male underside

Biology

Adults are on wing from mid-March to June in one generation per year. They feed on the nectar of various flowers, including Salvia columbariae, Asclepias cordifolia, Ribes aureum, Dipterostemon capitatus, Clarkia, Vicia, Cirsium and Stachys species.

The larvae feed on Clarkia unguiculata.

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