Cautethia Grote, 1865 è un genere di lepidotteri appartenente alla famiglia Sphingidae, diffuso in America settentrionale, centrale e meridionale.
Si differenzia dal genere Himantoides per la presenza di antenne considerevolmente più corte, e per i tarsi, provvisti di normali scaglie (D'Abrera, 1986).
La distribuzione è prevalentemente neotropicale, comprendendo il sud degli Stati Uniti (Florida), il Messico, ed i Caraibi.
L'habitat preferenziale risulta essere la foresta tropicale o subtropicale. Le abitudini sono prevalentemente notturne.
Il genere comprende 7 specie (D'Abrera, 1986; Haxaire & Schmit 2001):
- Braesia Grote & Robinson, 1868 - Trans. Amer. ent. Soc.. 2 (eterotipo)
- Oenosanda Walker, 1856 - List Spec. Lepid. Insects Colln Br. Mus. 8: 231 (eterotipo)
- Boisduval, Jean-Alphonse, 1875 - Histoire Naturelle des Insectes. Species Général des Lépidoptéres Hétérocéres. Tome Premier. Sphingides, Sésiides, Castnides Hist. nat. Ins., Spec. gén. Lépid. Hétérocères, 1 : 1-568, pl. 1-11
- Cary, 1970 - A new sphinx moth from the west Indies J. Lep. Soc. 24: 267-270
- Clark, 1919 - Some undescribed Sphingidae Proc. New England Zool. Club 6 : 99-114, 4pls
- Clark, 1920 - Sixteen new Sphingidae Proc. New England Zool. Club 7 : 65-78
- D'Abrera, Bernard, 1986 - Sphingidae mundi; Hawk Moths of the World. 226 pp.; E.W. Classey, Faringdon; ISBN 086096-022-6
- Druce in Godman & Salvin, 1881; Godman & Salvin, 1881 - Biologia Centrali-Americana; or Contributions to the Knowledge of the Fauna of Mexico and Central America. Zoology. Lepidoptera. Heterocera Biol. centr.-amer., Lep. Heterocera 1: 1-490 3: pl. 1-101
- H. Edwards, 1882 - New species of Heterocera Papilio 2 (1) : 9-15
- Grote, 1865 - Remarks on the Sphingidae of Cuba, and Description of a New Species of Ambulyx from Brazil Ann. Lyc. nat. Hist. N.Y. 8 : 195-207
- Grote & Robinson, 1868 - Descriptions of American Lepidoptera. - no. 4 Trans. Am. ent. Soc. 2 : 179-206, 2pls
- Haxaire, J. & Schmit, P. 2001 - Un nouveau Sphingidae de République Dominicaine: Cautethia carsusi (Lepidoptera Sphingidae). Lambillionea, 101, 605-608
- Haxaire, 2002 - Un nouveau Sphingidae de iles St Barthelemy et de St Martin: Cautethia noctuiformis choveti Lambillionea 102 (3, I): 263-266
- Hodges, Ronald W., 1971 - The Moths of America North of Mexico; Fascicle 21; SPHINGOIDEA
- Kitching & Cadiou, 2000 - Hawkmoths of the World; An annotated and illustrated revisionary checklist (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae). 256 pp.; Comstock Publishing Associates - Ithaca; ISBN 978-0-8014-3734-2
- (EN) Kükenthal, W. (Ed.), Handbuch der Zoologie / Handbook of Zoology, Band 4: Arthropoda - 2. Hälfte: Insecta - Lepidoptera, moths and butterflies, a cura di Kristensen, N. P., collana Handbuch der Zoologie, Fischer, M. (Scientific Editor), Teilband/Part 35: Volume 1: Evolution, systematics, and biogeography, Berlino, New York, Walter de Gruyter, 1999 [1998], pp. x + 491, ISBN 978-3-11-015704-8, OCLC 174380917.
- Landman Wijbren, 2001 - The Complete Encyclopedia of Moths. 272 pp.; Grange Books; ISBN 1-84013-409-7
- Lewis, H.L., 1974 - Butterflies of the World; ISBN 0-245-52097-X
- McCabe T.L., 1984 - A new Cautethia from the Bahamas (Lepitoptera: Sphingidae) Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 86: 614-618.
- Opler Paul, Pavulaan Harry, Stanford Ray, Pogue Michael - Butterflies and Moths of North America; Mountain Prairie Information Node
- Opler & Warren, 2003 - Butterflies of North America. 2. Scientific Names List for Butterfly Species of North America, north of Mexico.
- (EN) Scoble, M. J., The Lepidoptera: Form, Function and Diversity, seconda edizione, London, Oxford University Press & Natural History Museum, 2011 [1992], pp. xi, 404, ISBN 978-0-19-854952-9, LCCN 92004297, OCLC 25282932.
- Schaus, 1895 - Some notes on American Sphingidae Ent. News 6 (5) : 141-144
- Schaus, 1932 - New species of Sphingidae and Saturniidae in the U. S. National Museum J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 22 : 137-148
- (EN) Stehr, F. W. (Ed.), Immature Insects, 2 volumi, seconda edizione, Dubuque, Iowa, Kendall/Hunt Pub. Co., 1991 [1987], pp. ix, 754, ISBN 978-0-8403-3702-3, LCCN 85081922, OCLC 13784377.
- Tuttle James P., 2007 - The Hawkmoths of North America, A Natural History Study of the Sphingidae of the United States and Canada. The Wedge Entomological Research Foundation, Washington DC; ISBN 978-0-9796633-0-7.
- Walker, 1856 - List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum List Spec. Lepid. Insects Colln Br. Mus. 8: 1-271