Cocytius duponchel

Distribution: Mexico to Argentina; Antilles.
Type locality: Cuba.
Synonyms: Amphonyx godarti Boisduval 1875; Amphonyx rivularis Butler 1875; Cocytius affinis Rothschild 1894.
Source of record: Schreiber (1978).
Method of identification: illustrated in colour by d’Abrera (1986) p.23 and by Hodges (1971) plate 1, fig. 2. N.B. Can be separated from the closely related C. antaeus Drury as the latter has toothlike projections from the terminal shading into the hyaline spaces between the hindwing veins.
Notes: the larva feeds on various Annonaceae. J. M. Cadiou (pers. comm., 1988) states that Cocytius vitrinus Rothschild & Jordan 1910 is a good species, but from Cuba and Hispaniola only and he has not seen any Jamaican specimens. However, Cocytius duponchel from Jamaica are paler and with a broader hyaline area on the hindwing than typical duponchel, ie they are a step toward C. vitrina - Jamaican C. duponchel are therefore sometimes referred to as Cocytius vitrina ssp. musgravi.

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