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What is this Beautiful Bug?
Wed, Mar 18, 2009 at 6:09 AM
When I first saw the Bug I thought it was a Big Green Grasshopper. It was about 4inch long 2 to 3 inches across, wider with its wing span. I took the picture’s at night, last May. The Bug was just sitting on the wall of the beach house I was renting in Costa Rica (Limon Provence) close too Boca del Rio Estrella on the Caribbean Sea.
Thank you for your Time,
Beach
Limon Provence, Costa Rica

Eumorpha phorbas

Dear Beach,
Your moth is a Sphinx Moth or Hawk Moth in the family Sphingidae. The family name and Costa Rica led us to a website with many choices. At first, we thought your moth resembled the Gaudy Sphinx, so we decided to try members of the genus Eumorpha. We quickly discovered Eumorpha phorbas on the Costa Rican Sphingidae site. There were photos of mounted specimens, but no information on the site. We then searched the name and were led to Bill Oehlke’s excellent site with photos of live specimens and information. The species, which has no common name, ranges in Central and South America.  Oehlke writes:  “Eumorpha phorbas broods continuously with adults on the wing  every month of the year in Costa Rica and along the west coast of South America as far south as Bolivia.  Adults nectar at various  flowers. Eumorpha phorbas larvae probably feed upon grapes  (Vitaceae), dogbane (Apocynaceae), or evening primrose (Onagraceae)  families. ”

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