Erinnyis Ello

Erinnyis ello, commonly known as the Ello Sphinx, is a member of the Sphingidae family. It resides from Argentina, through Central America, and as far north as Nevada, US in North America.

The wingspan is 75–85 mm. The abdomen has gray and black bands. The forewing upperside of the females is pale gray with a few dark dots near the outer margin, while the forewing upperside of the males is dark gray and brown with a black band running from the base to the tip. In both sexes, the hindwing upperside is orange with a wide black border.

Adults are on wing year round in the tropics and southern Florida. Adults feed on the nectar of various flowers, including Saponaria officinalis and Asystasia gangetica.

The larva feed on a variety of host plants including, Papaya (Carica papaya) in the Caricaceae family, Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) and Mandioca (Manihot esculenta) in the Euphorbiaceae family, Guava (Psidium spp.) in the Myrtaceae family, and Saffron Plum (Sideroxylon celastrinum) in the Sapotaceae family.