Tersa sphinx
The tersa sphinx is a hawk moth, a moth with a strong, pointy body built for fast flying. It lives in the warm parts of America, from the United States all the way down to Argentina. It was first described by the famous scientist Carl Linnaeus.
How fast is it?
Fun facts
Now and then a lost one turns up as far north as Canada.
Its caterpillars eat many different plants, including Pentas, a flower people grow in gardens.
It was first described in 1771, more than 250 years ago.
Most asked questions about Tersa sphinx
?Where does the tersa sphinx live?
In America, from the United States through Mexico and Central America down to Argentina and Brazil.
?What does the tersa sphinx caterpillar eat?
Leaves of plants such as Pentas, Catalpa and wild coffee.
?Is the tersa sphinx dangerous?
No. It is a harmless moth.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Xylophanes tersa
- Named by
- Linnaeus, 1771
- Group
- Moths
- Family
- Sphingidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Lepidoptera > Sphingidae
- Lives on
- North America, South America
Where the facts come from
- Xylophanes tersa (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by (c) Sue Carnahan, some rights reserved (CC BY). CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. The round sticker of this bug is cut from the same picture.
If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at hello@bugwiki.app and we will fix it.
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