Tantalus Sphinx Moth (Aellopos tantalus)

by Jeffrey S. Pippen | Back to Jeff's Moths Page | Jeff's Nature Pages

Similar to hummingbird moths in the genus Hemaris, the Tantalus Sphinx will fly during the daytime and feed at flowers like Lantana and Pentas. According to Rick Gillmore & James Tuttle, this species has previously been misidentified as Titan Sphinx, but that species does not fly in Florida, and many websites and books are incorrect about this.

	Tantalus Sphinx Moth (Aellopos tantalus) Collier Co., FL 31 Dec 2006
	Tantalus Sphinx Moth (Aellopos tantalus) Collier Co., FL 31 Dec 2006

Annotated habitat and distribution information listed above is from Radford, Ahles, & Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. UNC Press; Alan Weakley's Flora of the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia; and from personal observations and discussions with Will Cook, Harry LeGrand, and Bob Wilbur. Supplemental resources include USDA plants website, and NatureServe.

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Created on ... Sep 8, 2006 | jeffpippen9@gmail.com