Hyles nicaea

Hyles nicaea, the Mediterranean hawk-moth, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Leonardo de Prunner in 1798.

Mediterranean hawk-moth
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Sphingidae
Genus: Hyles
Species:
H. nicaea
Binomial name
Hyles nicaea
Synonyms
  • Sphinx nicaea de Prunner, 1798
  • Sphinx cyparissiae Hübner, [1813]
  • Celerio rubida Oberthür, 1916
  • Deilephila nicaea castissima Austaut, 1883
  • Deilephila nicaea carnea Austaut, 1889
  • Celerio nicaea margine-denticulata Oberthür, 1916
  • Celerio nicaea albina Oberthür, 1916
  • Celerio nicaea libanotica Gehlen, 1932
  • Celerio nicaea sheljuzkoi Dublitzky, 1928
  • Deilephila nicaea lathyrus Walker, 1856
  • Deilephila nicaea crimaea A. Bang-Haas, 1906
  • Deilephila nicaea orientalis Austaut, 1905

Distribution

The nominate subspecies is found from southern Portugal and Spain though southern Europe to Turkey. It is also found on the Balearic Islands and in south-western Bulgaria.

Description

The wingspan is 80–100 mm.

Biology

Adults are on wing in June in one generation. At times there is a partial second generation in August. Subspecies H. n. castissima is on wing from May to June and from July to August in two generations. Subspecies H. n. orientalis is on wing from June to July in one generation. Subspecies H. n. sheljuzkoi is on wing in May and July/August in two to three generations.

The larvae feed on Euphorbia species, including Euphorbia nicaeensis. Subspecies H. n. orientalis feeds on Euphorbia petrophila and Euphorbia seguieriana and H. n. sheljuzkoi has been recorded on Euphorbia oxydonta in Jordan.

Subspecies

References

  1. "CATE Creating a Taxonomic eScience - Sphingidae". Cate-sphingidae.org. Archived from the original on 2012-10-16. Retrieved 2011-10-25.


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