Pachylia ficus

The fig sphinx can be distinguished from similar sphingid moths by its orange-brown wing coloration and relatively large wingspan. It is the only species in the genus Pachylia, which separates it from other sphingid genera. The specific association with Ficus host plants provides additional identification context where larval stages are found.

Associated with habitats supporting Ficus species, including tropical and subtropical forests, urban and suburban landscapes with ornamental fig plantings, and agricultural areas where figs are cultivated.

South America from Uruguay northward through Central America, extending to the southern United States (Arizona and Texas as occasional strays). Documented in Brazil across multiple states (Acre, Alagoas, Amazonas, Amapá, Bahia, Ceará, Distrito Federal, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Maranhão, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Pará, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Piauí, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rondônia, Roraima, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Sergipe, São Paulo, Tocantins), as well as Panama and Colombia (Villavicencio).

Multiple generations per year in tropical regions, peninsular Florida, and southern Texas. Adults recorded in February, September, and November in Brazil; June in Panama.

Adults feed on nectar of various flowers including Asystasia gangetica and Dendrophylax lindenii (ghost orchid). Larvae feed on Ficus aurea, Ficus carica, Ficus microcarpa, Ficus religiosa, Ficus pumila, Ficus gamelleira, Ficus prinoides, and Artocarpus integrifolius.

• Ficus aurea - larval food plant
• Ficus carica - larval food plant
• Ficus microcarpa - larval food plant
• Ficus religiosa - larval food plant
• Ficus pumila - larval food plant
• Ficus gamelleira - larval food plant
• Ficus prinoides - larval food plant
• Artocarpus integrifolius - larval food plant
• Asystasia gangetica - adult nectar source
• Dendrophylax lindenii - adult nectar sourceendangered ghost orchid; adults are documented pollinators

Multiple generations per year in tropical and subtropical regions. Eggs hatch into larvae that feed on host Ficus foliage. Larvae display several color morphs. Pupation occurs in a cocoon spun among leaf litter. Adults emerge and feed on nectar, with activity documented across multiple months depending on region.

Adults are known pollinators of the endangered ghost orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii). Adults have been recorded feeding on nectar during February, June, September, and November across their range, suggesting extended or year-round activity in favorable climates.

Adults function as pollinators, specifically documented for the endangered ghost orchid. Larvae serve as herbivores on Ficus and related Moraceae species, potentially contributing to nutrient cycling through their consumption of leaf material and subsequent pupation in leaf litter.

Larvae feed on cultivated fig species (Ficus carica), potentially affecting commercial fig production. The species' role as a pollinator of the endangered ghost orchid has conservation significance. Adults are occasionally observed in the United States (Arizona, Texas) as vagrant individuals.

• Other Sphingidae speciesSimilar large moth morphology and flight patterns, but distinguished by orange-brown wing coloration and specific host plant associations.

• pollinator
• pest
• fig
• sphinx moth
• hawkmoth
• neotropical

• BugGuide
• Wikipedia
• GBIF taxonomy match
• iNaturalist taxon
• NCBI Taxonomy
• Catalogue of Life
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