Penstemonia
Engelhardt, 1946
Species Guides
4Penstemonia is a of clearwing moths in the Sesiidae, established by Engelhardt in 1946. The genus contains five described distributed in North America. Species within this genus are part of the tribe Synanthedonini, which includes many -mimicking . are and are known to visit flowers.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Penstemonia: //ˌpɛn.stəˈmoʊ.ni.ə//
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Images
Distribution
North America. have been recorded from the western United States, including California.
Host Associations
- Penstemon - larval name derived from this association; larvae feed within stems of Penstemon
Similar Taxa
- SynanthedonBoth belong to tribe Synanthedonini and share -mimicking appearance; Penstemonia distinguished by association with Penstemon and specific genitalic characters
- AlbunaAnother sesiid with similar clearwing ; Penstemonia generally smaller with different wing venation patterns
More Details
Etymology
The name Penstemonia derives from its larval association with plants in the genus Penstemon (plantain Plantaginaceae).
Taxonomic History
Penstemonia edwardsii was originally described as Aegeria edwardsii by Beutenmüller in 1894, later transferred to this . Four additional were described by Engelhardt in 1946, with P. pappi added by Eichlin in 1987.