Smerinthus

Smerinthus is a Holarctic genus of hawkmoths in the family Sphingidae. It was described by Pierre André Latreille in 1802.^[1] Adults have conspicuous eyespots on the hindwings.

Smerinthus
Smerinthus ocellatus, type species for the genus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Sphingidae
Tribe:	Smerinthini
Genus:	Smerinthus Latreille, 1802
Synonyms
Bebroptera Sodoffsky, 1837 Bellia Tutt, 1902 Bellinca Strand, 1943 Copismerinthus Grote, 1892 Daddia Tutt, 1902 Dilina Dalman, 1816 Eusmerinthus Grote, 1877 Merinthus Meigen, 1830 Nicholsonia Tutt, 1902 Niia Strand, 1943

The pattern and coloration of the forewing typically resembles dried leaves rather than tree bark as in many other sphinx moths.^[2] While larvae feed on a variety of host plants, adults have reduced or absent mouthparts and do not feed at all.^[2]

Species

• Smerinthus astarte Strecker, [1885]^[3]
• Smerinthus caecus Menetries, 1857
• Smerinthus cerisyi Kirby, 1837
• Smerinthus jamaicensis (Drury, 1773)
• Smerinthus kindermannii Lederer, 1853
• Smerinthus minor Mell, 1937
• Smerinthus ocellatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Smerinthus ophthalmica Boisduval, 1855
• Smerinthus planus Walker, 1856
• Smerinthus saliceti Boisduval, 1875
• Smerinthus szechuanus (Clark, 1938)
• Smerinthus tokyonis Matsumura, 1921
• Smerinthus visinskasi Zolotuhin & Saldaitis, 2009

• 
  Smerinthus caecus
• 
  Smerinthus cerisyi
• 
  Smerinthus jamaicensis
• 
  Smerinthus kindermannii
• 
  Smerinthus ocellatus
• 
  Smerinthus ophthalmica
• 
  Smerinthus planus
• 
  Smerinthus saliceti
• 
  Smerinthus szechuanus
• 
  Smerinthus tokyonis

Nomenclatural note

The name Smerinthus is apparently derived from the Greek feminine noun 'Merinthos', but has been Latinised with the masculine -us ending and is thus, according to the ICZN article 30.1.3,^[4] masculine.^[5] As the ICZN rules that species names that are adjectives should agree in gender with the genus name, the common use of Smerinthus ocellata for the widespread European species Smerinthus ocellatus is incorrect.