Habitat and Geography

Where does this organism live?
One may think that all moths are everywhere in the world and around at the same time of year. We are here to tell you that is the wrong mentality to have. Proserpinus clakiae are found in more spacious areas such as grasslands or prairies. They can also be found in more unexpected areas like the Cascade and Rocky Mountain regions. Prairies are beneficial towards the moth because there is more land for the Clark's Sphinx Moth to roam and invade (Pacific Northwest Moths 2014). This may be because the moth benefits in more open areas where trees are not in the way. These moths are generally more abundant at foothills at the base of mountains. When these moths are not flying around, they are going to need a place to go. These moths reside around oak woodland and pine-oak woodland in the foothills. This is a great place for thse moths to be due to the grassland like atmosphere (Butterflies and Moths of North America 2014). The Clark's Sphinx are mainly seen flying during the day and more evident when it begins to get darker outside. This moth flies extremely fast and makes ends meet by taking nectar from flowers, almost as similar as a hummingbird would do (Rubinoff and Le Roux 2008).

Where is this organism generally located?
This moth is primarily found in the Pacific Northwest. It is seen mainly from the areas of southern British Columbia and stretching upwards to the western California-Oregon border (Pacific Northwest Moths 2014). The Clark's Sphinx comes in abundance west of the Cascade Mountains and more collective in Oregon. Like most people may think or believe, this species of moths are not found globally, although the Clark's Sphinx is abundant in given areas, it is not present anywhere else in the world. This species stretches from the south through western Nevada and California to also Los Angeles (Pacific Northwest Moths 2014). It is fairly interesting that these moths can often be seen in places like east Idaho, Wyoming, and even Utah. This organism is not present year-round and is in abundance from spring to the beginning of summer. These months would include April through June (Butterflies and Moths of North America 2014). When looking at the factor of latitude, adults are present in these regions for only a few weeks of the year (Rubinoff and Le Roux, 2008). When traveling out west do not forget to try and spot the  Proserpinus clarkiae!

What are other organisms in the same areas of the country?
There are many organisms present around the areas of California, Utah, Colorado, Oregon, Wyoming, and Idaho where the Clark's Sphinx is generally located. Some animals that are located in this area is the bald eagle, gray wolf, bighorn sheep, wood duck, and grasshoppers. Not only are others animals present in these regions, but other plants are as well. Some of these plants are popcorn flower, sweet violet, and oregon grape. There are many other organisms that are present in these surroundings!

How does this organism adapt to its environment?
Proserpinus clarkiae uses its unique qualities when functioning in the foothills of their environment. These structures help them to live and adapt to the environment around them. Going to the form and function page will give you a ton more information!

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