Paratrea

Plebeian sphinx
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Sphingidae
Tribe:	Sphingini
Genus:	Paratrea Grote, 1903
Species:	P. plebeja
Binomial name
Paratrea plebeja (Fabricius, 1777)
Synonyms
Generic Atreides Holland, 1903 Atreus Grote, 1886 Specific Sphinx plebeja Fabricius, 1777

Paratrea is a monotypic moth genus in the family Sphingidae erected by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1903. Its single species, Paratrea plebeja, the plebeian sphinx moth, was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1777. It is found in the eastern part of the United States as far west as Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and eastern Texas.

The length of the forewing is 31–35 mm. In the north, adults are on wing in two generations with adults on wing from May to August. In the south, there are at least two generations with adults on wing from the end of April to June and from August to October, but from April to November in Florida and from March to September in Louisiana. Adults feed on the nectar of Saponaria officinalis, Phlox, Petunia, Mirabilis, Lonicera, Hymenocallis occidentalis and Verbena.

The larvae feed on Campsis radicans, Tecoma stans and introduced Tecomaria capensis.

External links

• "Plebeian sphinx (Paratrea plebeja)" Moths of North America. Archived December 2, 2005.