Attributes of Cocytius antaeus

Giant sphinx
Cocytius antaeus (Drury, 1773)
Family: Sphingidae
Subfamily: Sphinginae
Identification: Females are much larger than males. Forewing is a blurry yellowish gray. Hindwing is dark gray with yellow at the base and a dark "tooth" projecting from the margin into the translucent area between each vein.
Wing Span: 5 - 7 inches (12.6 - 17.8 cm).
Life History: Females lay eggs singly on leaves of various species of Annona. Caterpillars are large and have a horn at the rear end.
Flight: . Several broods throughout the year in south Florida.
Caterpillar Hosts: Custard apple (Annona glabra).
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Tropical and subtropical lowlands.
Range: Resident in Florida and tropical America south to Brazil and Peru, rare in South Texas, strays as far north as Chicago.
Conservation: Population status and habitat requirements should be studied in Florida.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Taxonomy Notes:

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Cocytius antaeus - 1710_56.jpg

Cocytius antaeus - 1710_56.jpg

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The map below displays all verified sighting records in the BAMONA database for this species. Each record is indicated with a yellow dot. The orange dots on the map provide access to information about the 400 most recently verified sightings of this species. In some instances, there are several records at the same location. Use the table view to access these records.

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Observation Date Submitter Region Verified Datesort icon
April 05, 2012 kellymain Lee County, Florida, United States April 09, 2012 Details
February 23, 2009 legacy.reporter (Jean McCollom) Collier County, Florida, United States April 01, 2009 Details
October 12, 1997 kellyrichers (Kelly M. Richers) Pima County, Arizona, United States January 28, 2009 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Broward County, Florida, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Charlotte County, Florida, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Collier County, Florida, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Highlands County, Florida, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Hillsborough County, Florida, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Lee County, Florida, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Monroe County, Florida, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Palm Beach County, Florida, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Volusia County, Florida, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Madison County, Mississippi, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Tamaulipas, Mexico December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Cape May County, New Jersey, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Barnwell County, South Carolina, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Florence County, South Carolina, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Pickens County, South Carolina, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Bee County, Texas, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Brewster County, Texas, United States December 31, 2004 Details