Kauaʻi record · KCA-IA-00078
Hawaiian Sphinx
Hyles calida
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About Hawaiian Sphinx
Hyles calida is an endemic Hawaiian hawkmoth.
Natural history and identification
Hyles calida is an endemic Hawaiian hawkmoth. Research on Hawaiian Hyles links the larvae chiefly with native plants in the coffee family, including Bobea, Coprosma, Gardenia, and Psychotria. Older reports listed a much wider set of plant families, but a later study questions several of those associations. The conservative interpretation is to distinguish supported larval hosts from historical, uncertain records. The adult moth and its leaf-feeding caterpillar require different identification characters.
Kauaʻi occurrence and evidence
Atlas occurrence category: Present. The Kauaʻi record is classified as “Present”. Its cited evidence source is iNaturalist Kauaʻi checklist.
Evidence limits
The cited observations describe the evidence currently available for this account. They do not establish a complete life history or a measured current Kauaʻi population trend.
Names and classification
- Scientific name
- Hyles calida
- Common names
- Hawaiian Sphinx
- Family
- Sphingidae
- Order
- Lepidoptera
- Record type
- species
Kauaʻi occurrence and status
- Kauaʻi occurrence
- Present
- Origin
- Endemic
- Conservation status
- Not assessed
Process and seasonal context
- Seasonal description
- Hyles calida is an endemic Hawaiian hawkmoth.