Pseudococytius beelzebuth from Rancho Grande, H. Pittier National Park, Venezuela
courtesy of Paolo Mazzei.

This site has been created by Bill Oehlke at oehlkew@islandtelecom.com
Comments, suggestions and/or additional information are welcomed by Bill.

TAXONOMY: Family: Sphingidae, Latreille, 1802 Subfamily: Sphinginae, Latreille, [1802] Tribe: Sphingini, Latreille, 1802 Genus: Cocytius Hubner, [1819] ........... Species: beelzebuth (Boisduval, [1875])

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DISTRIBUTION:

Pseudococytius beelzebuth (Wing span: 115 - 148 mm, males much smaller than females)], flies in
Brazil, the specimen type locality, and in
Nicaragua: Granada, Rio San Juan;
Costa Rica: Puntarenas, Heredia;
south through
VenezuelaAragua, Bolivar, Tachira;
Peru;
Bolivia: La Paz: Murillo, Río Zongo, 750m; and
probably in many other countries in South and Central America. I suspect colombia, Guyana, Suriname and Ecuador.

Pseudococytius beelzebuth, male, 115mm, Costa Rica,
courtesy of Dan Janzen.

FLIGHT TIMES:

Pseudococytius beelzebuth adults probably nectar at flowers and fly in at least two broods in Costa Rica, with moths on the wing January-February and again in July-August. This moth comes in to lights much less frequently than other Cocytius species, but both sexes appear.

ECLOSION:

Pupae probably wiggle to surface from subterranean chambers just prior to eclosion.

Pseudococytius beelzebuth female from Costa Rica, courtesy of Dan Janzen.

SCENTING AND MATING:

Females call in the males with a pheromone released from a gland at the tip of the abdomen.

EGGS, LARVAE, PUPAE:

Colourful larvae feed on Guatteria diospyroides and probably other members of the Annonaceae family.

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