Empyreuma pugione

Empyreuma pugione
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Superfamily:	Noctuoidea
Family:	Erebidae
Subfamily:	Arctiinae
Genus:	Empyreuma
Species:	E. pugione
Binomial name
Empyreuma pugione (Linnaeus, 1767) [1]
Synonyms
Sphinx pugioneLinnaeus, 1767 Sphinx lichasCramer, [1775] Sphinx sanguinosaMartyn, 1797 Chrysaor erythropterusHübner, 1808 Empyreuma mucroZerny, 1912 Empyreuma sanguineaRothschild, 1912 Empyreuma sanguinea portoricensisRothschild, 1912 Empyreuma affinisRothschild, 1912 Empyreuma affinis haitensisRothschild, 1912

Empyreuma pugione, the spotted oleander caterpillar moth, is a moth of the subfamily Arctiinae. It is found in the West Indies, where it has been collected at elevations up to 733m, ^[2] but has been introduced to the US state of Florida. ^[3]

The wingspan is 43–48 mm. They fly during the day. ^[4]

The larvae feed on Nerium oleander , but are likely to have fed on a Caribbean species from a New World Apocynaceae genus such as Thevetia , Plumeria , Mandevilla , or Tabernaemontana prior to the introduction of oleander. ^[2] They are light orange and hairy.

References

1. Savela, Markku. "Empyreuma pugione (Linnaeus, 1767)". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
2. Weller, Susan J.; Simmons, Rebecca B.; Carlson, Anders L. (22 April 2004). "EMPYREUMA SPECIES AND SPECIES LIMITS: EVIDENCE FROM MORPHOLOGY AND MOLECULES (ARCTIIDAE: ARCTIINAE: CTENUCHINI)". Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society. 58 (1): 28. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
3. "930448.00 – 8272 – Empyreuma pugione – Spotted Oleander Caterpillar Moth – (Linnaeus, 1767)". North American Moth Photographers Group. Mississippi State University. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
4. Factsheet at Florida Featured Creatures