Darapsa myron

For other uses of "Myron", see Myron (disambiguation).

Darapsa myron, the Virginia creeper sphinx or the Green Grapevine Sphinx, is a species of moth in the family Sphingidae.^[2] It is found in central and eastern North America.^[3]

Darapsa myron
Darapsa myron, adult
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Sphingidae
Genus:	Darapsa
Species:	D. myron
Binomial name
Darapsa myron (Cramer, 1780)[1]
Synonyms
Sphinx myron Cramer, 1779 Sphinx pampinatrix J.E. Smith, 1797 Otus cnotus Hübner, 1823 Ampeloeca myron isatis Debauche, 1934 Ampeloeca myron lutescens Clark, 1920 Ampeloeca myron texana Clark, 1920 Ampeloeca myron mexicana Gehlen, 1933

Distribution

in Canada it is found in southern Ontario and Quebec,^[4] and in the United States is found from Maine south to south Florida; west to North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.^[5] It is also found in Mexico.

The moths prefer woodland or brush habitats.^[3]

Description

• 
  Male dorsal
• 
  Male ventral

Adults are usually large with long abdomens ending in a point. The top of the forewing is striped with shades of green to brown and has a dark dot in the middle. The top of the hindwing is orange.^[3][5][6] Their wings span 2-3 inches.^[2][7]

Known as "hornworms", due to the large blue horn on the posterior end, the young larvae are slim and yellow. Maturing they become darker (green, pink or brown) and gain 7 pairs of diagonal stripes merging into a dorsal black line.^[3][5]

Biology

There are five or more annual broods,^[8] and larvae can mature in as few as three weeks. Larvae hide on the midribs of their host leaves and are nocturnal feeders.^{[citation needed]}

While active from early May to early September its during June and July that this species is most active^[2][5][9] and abundant in many areas, particularly Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Adults emerge in the mid-afternoon and females begin calling bob after dusk ^{[clarification needed]}. In spring, adults are more likely to feed, nectaring from flowers and drinking fluids from rotting fruit.^{[citation needed]} In areas where they are common, D. myron readily come to both lights and sugar baits,^[10] being most active between sunset and midnight.^{[citation needed]}

Females have much rounder abdomens while the end of the male's abdomen is spade-shaped. Pairing is fairly quick and captive adults do not need to be fed, although females lay more eggs when fed. Sometimes adults refuse food altogether. Mated females deposit up to 150 small eggs that start out green but turn yellow within 48 hours, indicating fertility. Incubation lasts about six days.^{[citation needed]}

Full grown caterpillars pose the ability to chew though sleeves.^{[citation needed]} Fully grown larvae turn a purplish brown before spinning a sparse, wiry cocoon among leaves on the ground. Pupae either enclose within about 20 days or diapause, eclosing in late May.^[11]

The larvae are known to feed on Virginia creeper, Viburnums, grape vines, and raccoon grapes.^[3][5]

Predators

Caterpillars are frequently parisitised by wasps, which lay their eggs directly on them.^[3]

Subspecies

• Darapsa myron myron
• Darapsa myron mexicana (Gehlen, 1933) (Mexico)

• 
  Darapsa myron mexicana dorsal female
• 
  Darapsa myron mexicana ventral female