Macroglossum belis

Macroglossum belis, the common hummingbird hawkmoth, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It was described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. It is known from Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Thailand, southern China, Taiwan, Japan (Ryukyu Archipelago), Vietnam and Indonesia (Java).[2]

Common hummingbird hawkmoth
Dorsal view - MHNT
Ventral view - MHNT
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Sphingidae
Genus: Macroglossum
Species:
M. belis
Binomial name
Macroglossum belis
Synonyms
  • Sphinx belis Linnaeus, 1758
  • Macroglossa pyrrhula Boisduval, 1875
  • Macroglossa opis Boisduval, 1875

Description

The wingspan is 50–60 mm. Adults are attracted to the flowers of Duranta erecta and Lantana camara at dawn and dusk. The adult differs from Macroglossum affictitia in the head, thorax, abdomen and forewings being redder brown, the two lines forming the antemedial band of the forewing not filled in with black. The postmedial lines not so parallel, the second line being nearer the first at the costa, the third at inner margin. The patch near the apex reddish brown with no dark streak below it. Hindwings with reddish-yellow band.[3]

Larva is black. The head red, a white subdorsal line and the sides spotted and streaked with red and yellow. Larvae have been recorded feeding on Strychnos angustiflora in Hong Kong and on Strychnos nux-vomica, Saprosoma indicum and Spermadictyon suaveolans in India.[4]

References
  1. "CATE Creating a Taxonomic eScience - Sphingidae". Cate-sphingidae.org. Archived from the original on 2012-09-26. Retrieved 2011-10-25.
  2. "Macroglossum belis Linnaeus, 1776". India Biodiversity Portal. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  3. Hampson, G. F. (1892). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma: Moths Volume I. Taylor and Francis – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  4. Pittaway, A. R.; Kitching, I. J. (2018). "Macroglossum belis (Linnaeus, 1758) -- Common hummingbird hawkmoth". Sphingidae of the Eastern Palaearctic. Retrieved December 15, 2018.


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