Unzela pronoe pronoe, Venezuela, from Hawkmoths of Venezuela,
courtesy of Dr. María Esperanza Chacín and José Clavijo A., Ph.D.

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: Macroglossinae, Harris, 1839 Tribe: Dilophonotini, Burmeister, 1878 Genus: Unzela Walker, 1856 ........... Species: pronoe pronoe Druce, 1894

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DISTRIBUTION:

Unzela pronoe pronoe (wingspan: approx. 53-58mm) flies in Guatemala and Honduras to Amazonia. The specimen type locality is Belize: Stann Creek. It has also been recorded in
Panama: Chiriqui;
Costa Rica: Cartago;
Venezuela: Amazonas;
French Guiana: Saint Georges de l'Oyapock; Kaw;
Brazil: Para;
Ecuador: Mancas (probably Macas in Morona-Santiago);
Peru: Loreto (JH);
and from as far south as
Bolivia: La Paz (750-1100m).

Although not confirmed in the following countries, I suspect it is present in Nicaragua; Colombia; Guyana; and Suriname.

Unzela pronoe Rio Ucayali, NE of Saquena, Loreto, Peru,
February 16-17, 2011, 110m, courtesy of Hartmut Wisch, via Jim Hogue.

Dr. James N. Hogue (JH), Dept. of Biology, Californina State University, has just confirmed Unzela pronoe in PERU: Depto. Loreto, Rio Ucayali, NE of Saquena, 4.56 degrees South 73.49 degrees West, elev. 110 m, 16-17 February 2011, B. J. Hogue.

Unzela pronoe, near Kaw Mountains, French Guiana,
April 1, 2011, courtesy of Andres Urbas.

The dorasl forewing is similar to that of Unzela japix japix but the dark cell mark is in strong contrast to the lighter brown surrounding median area. The outer am line is angulate or sinuate in pronoe but very straight in japix.

Unzela pronoe pronoe male, Ecuador,
on my home computer only.

Unzela pronoe pronoe, French Guiana,
on my home computer only.

FLIGHT TIMES:

Unzela pronoe pronoe flies in February in Peru (JH). It has also been taken in French Guiana in February and in April.

ECLOSION:

Adults eclose from pupae formed in loose cocoons in shallow underground burrows.

SCENTING AND MATING:

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

EGGS, LARVAE, PUPAE:

Larvae possibly feed on Vitus tiliifolia and other members of the Vitaceae family: Vitis, Cissus rhombifolia, Ampelopsis, , however, this genus may be limited to Dilleniaceae. Tetracera volubilis, Curatella americana, Tetracera hydrophila and Doliocarpus multiflorus of the Dilleniaceae family likely also serves as a host, as does Ludwigia of the Onagraceae.

The "horn" is very long in early instars and head is relatively large. As the larva matures, the body develops rapidly, leaving the head relatively small and the "horn" relatively short.

The pupa is dark and smooth with a sharp cremaster.

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