Ceratomia igualana

Schaus, 1932

Ceratomia igualana is a hawkmoth in the Sphingidae. It is known from a limited number of specimens collected from Mexico to Rica. The exhibits in size, with females notably larger than males. Biological details including larval plants, , and complete remain undocumented due to its rarity in collections.

Ceratomia igualana, male, underside. Mexico, Guerrero by The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London. Used under a CC BY 3.0 license.

Ceratomia igualana, female, upperside. Mexico, Guerrero by The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London. Used under a CC BY 3.0 license.

Ceratomia igualana MHNT CUT 2010 0 323 Comala Colima Mexico male ventral by
Didier Descouens. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Ceratomia igualana: /sɛɹəˈtoʊmiə ˌɪɡwəˈlænə/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

Distinguished from primarily by geographic distribution (Mexico to Rica) and the documented size dimorphism between sexes. Positive identification likely requires examination of genitalia or molecular analysis given the limited descriptive material available. May be confused with other Ceratomia occurring in overlapping range, particularly C. catalpae or C. undulosa where ranges approach; however, C. igualana appears restricted to more southern distributions.

Images

Distribution

Mexico to Rica. Specific preferences within this range have not been documented.

Similar Taxa

Ceratomia catalpaeOverlapping hawkmoth with somewhat similar southern distribution; C. catalpae is well-known and associated with Catalpa trees, whereas C. igualana is unknown
Ceratomia undulosaWaved sphinx with broader North American range; northern may approach southern range of C. igualana, but C. undulosa is documented ash-feeder with known larval

More Details

Taxonomic history

Described by Schaus in 1932. The specific epithet 'igualana' likely refers to the type locality.

Collection rarity

Explicitly noted as having been caught in only small numbers; this rarity limits biological understanding and may reflect genuine scarcity, cryptic habits, or under-sampling of its actual range.

Research needs

Critical gaps include: larval plant identification, complete description, , associations, and status assessment.