Amphion

The genus Amphion occurs in the New World. The sole North American species, Amphion floridensis, is widespread east of the continental divide in the United States and southern Canada.

Adults are active during the day, especially at dusk. In North America, flight period extends through summer months.

Adults feed on nectar from flowers. Caterpillars feed on leaves of grape (Vitis spp.) and cayenne pepper (Capsicum spp.) plants.

• Vitis - larval hostgrape
• Capsicum - larval hostcayenne pepper

Complete metamorphosis with egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa, and adult stages. Caterpillars are leaf feeders; pupation occurs in soil.

Adults are diurnal and crepuscular, hovering at flowers to feed on nectar. The genus exhibits wasp mimicry, with rapid, darting flight patterns that resemble those of sphecid wasps.

Caterpillars may cause minor damage to grape cultivation. Adults are pollinators of flowers.

• Sphecius speciosusEastern Cicada Killer Wasp is the proposed model for mimicry by Amphion floridensis; both share large size, brown and yellow coloration, and hovering flight behavior
• HemarisClearwing sphinx moths also exhibit wasp mimicry and diurnal flight, but differ in having largely transparent wings and different wing venation

• mimicry
• diurnal moth
• pollinator
• pest

• BugGuide
• Wikipedia
• iNaturalist taxon
• NCBI Taxonomy
• Catalogue of Life
• Bug Eric: Wasp Wednesday: Not Wasp VIII