Manduca caribbeus (Cary, 1952)

Hodecek, Jiri & Haxaire, Jean, 2025, A revised and annotated checklist of the hawkmoths (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) of the Dominican Republic, with new records and distribution maps of chosen species, Zootaxa 5701 (4), pp. 401-427 : 403-404

Manduca caribbeus (Cary, 1952) ( Fig 3. A )

General distribution. Endemic to Hispaniola.

Distribution in the DR. Southwest part of the country: NP Jaragua, Cabo Rojo, Pedernales, Los Rios and La Descubierta ( Fig 1. A ).

Habitat. Elevation 0–125 m asl. An insect of coastal areas, in very low-elevation semi-desert xeric environments ( Fig 9. A, B, C, D ).

Host plants. Unknown.

Material examined.

Hodecek: Jaragua National Park : 17°47'32"N 71°27'38"W, 123 m, 7/2021, 1 ♂, leg. J. Hodecek ; Jaragua National Park : 17°47'32"N 71°27'38"W, 123 m, 6/2023, 2 ♀, leg. J. Hodecek ; Jaragua National Park : 17°47'32"N 71°27'38"W, 123 m, 5/2024, 5 ♂ 3 ♀, leg. J. Hodecek .

Haxaire: Pedernales (seaside): 13/08/2007, 1 ♂, leg. Jean Haxaire & Odile Paquit ; Jaragua National Park, Road Oviedo-Pedernales km 17 , Pedernales: 11/05/2004, 2 ♂ 2 ♀, leg. Jérôme Barbut ; Road Monte Cristi to El Jaba km 13 , Monte Cristi: 18/05/2004, 1 ♀, leg. Jérôme Barbut ; Manuel Goya , Pedernales: 100 m, 25/05/2000, 1 ♂, leg. Pierre Schmit [ CJHL] .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distributions of selected species of Sphingidae in the Dominican Republic.

FIGURE 3. Photographs of some of the hawkmoths recorded from the Dominican Republic: A) Manduca caribbeus, B) Manduca johanni, C) Nannoparce poeyi, D) Manduca brontes haitiensis, E) Erinnyis guttularis, F) Isognathus rimosus molitor. Photographs by Jiri Hodecek (A, C, D) and Jean Haxaire (B, E, F).

FIGURE 9. Collecting sites of Sphingidae in the Dominican Republic: A) Pedernales grassland—10 m a.s.l. (typical habitat of Manduca caribbeus, Nannoparce poeyi, Xylophanes clarki), B) NP Jaragua—123 m a.s.l. (Manduca caribbeus, Nannoparce poeyi, Eumorpha strenua), C) Road in Oviedo—90 m a.s.l. (Manduca carribeus, Nannoparce poeyi), D) Cabo Rojo—108 m a.s.l. (Aellopos blaini, Manduca caribbeus), E) Constanza, Piste de Tireo Abajo à Sonador—1561 m a.s.l. (Lintneria tricolor, Manduca johanni, Eumorpha strenua), F) Scientific reservation Ebano Verde—1170 m a.s.l. (Perigonia glaucescens, Manduca johanni), G) Type locality of Cautethia insolita and Perigonia desotoi in La Vega province—1830 m a.s.l., H) The light trap in Paraiso by Jiri Hodecek and Jiri Pirkl 2021. Photo by Jean Haxaire (A, C, D, E, G) and Jiri Hodecek (B, F, H).