Hyles tithymali
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| ( Boisduval , 1832) |
Hyles tithymali is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of moth (Sphingidae). The species belongsto the Hyles euphorbiae complex in the narrower sense ( see str. )Within thegenus Hyles, which is welldelimitedby mtDNA investigations. The species within this group are highly variable in their appearance and show a considerable number of color variants either according to distribution area or inhabited habitat, but all look so similar that a species identification based on external characteristics is only partially possible. The warmth-loving species is native to parts of the Mediterranean, North Africa and the Middle East. The caterpillars of all subspecies feed on different types of milkweed ( Euphorbia ).
features
Characteristics of the adults
The moths reach wing spans of 60 to 85 millimeters and have the coloration typical of species of the genus Hyles : their brown forewings have a wavy and indented light band that begins as a broad stripe on the wing's trailing edge near the wing root and gradually narrows down to the apex . The fringing area is also brightly colored. The hind wings have a wide, pink band in the middle, a black base and a black band. On the inner edge of the wing, a white spot borders the pink band. The species differs from the more variably colored milkweed hawk ( Hyles euphorbiae ) by a narrower and cream-colored band on the forewings of the females, as well as a wider and silver band on the males. The latter often also have silver-colored wing veins .
The subspecies Hyles tithymali mauretanica often looks similar to the nominate subspecies Hyles tithymali tithymali , but it is increasingly smaller and paler in color towards desert areas. The subspecies Hyles tithymali deserticola is very variable in size and has a wingspan of only 45 to 75 millimeters. The smallest individuals are found in the hottest dry areas. The intensity of their coloration is also variable; individuals from the arid regions are usually much paler in color. Hyles tithymali himyarensis has a wingspan of 60 to 80 millimeters and is of the subspecies H. t. deserticola is very similar and easy to confuse with it, but some individuals look similar to Hyles euphorbiae conspicua , which can also be pale in color. Hyles tithymali gecki has a wingspan of 70 to 85 millimeters and is partly similar in color to the butterflies of H. t. mauretanica from Morocco. Their forewings have a dark olive-brown basic color, which can sometimes also be red-brown. The band on the forewings is mostly pale yellowish-cream-colored, rarely whitish-gray. Hyles tithymali phaelipae is darker and more strongly colored than the nominate subspecies, but some individuals resemble Hyles tithymali gecki .
egg
The eggs of Hyles tithymali look very similar to those of the milkweed hawk and are blue-green, but with a clear blue tinge. There are practically no distinguishing features between the individual subspecies, only H. t. mauretanica has eggs with a light blue-green gloss that are identical in appearance to those of the milkweed hawk.
Caterpillar
The caterpillars of the nominate subspecies reach a body length of 70 to 80 millimeters. At first they are completely black and only gradually change color to olive-black after eating on the food plants. From the third or fourth caterpillar stage onwards, the animals already show the color of the adult caterpillars. They differ in their coloring from those of the closely related milkweed hawk and resemble most closely some color variants of the caterpillars of the line swarm ( Hyles livornica ). The back line, the anal horn , the abdomen and the head are colored red. The back line is flanked on both sides by a black, lightly speckled longitudinal band. Slightly below runs a line of black-rimmed, white eye-spots that protrude into the black longitudinal band. In about two thirds of the individuals, these white eye spots are tinged reddish. Another black, lightly speckled longitudinal band runs along the sides of the body, otherwise the body is colored yellow-green.
The caterpillars of H. t. deserticola cannot be distinguished from those of the nominate subspecies. Those of the subspecies H. t. mauretanica are of the same length and are also very similar, but have a rather paler coloration and somewhat larger eye-spots that are also bordered by a wider black. The caterpillars of H. t. himyarensis grow the same length, but are similar to those of Hyles dahlii , as the body is sooty-black in the last stage and is covered with fine white dots. A yellow-orange longitudinal line runs level with the line of very white eye spots. Directly below this line, the fine dots are colored pale yellow and form a longitudinal band that is difficult to see. Another longitudinal line, alternating orange and yellow, runs below the sides of the body. Anal horn, head, abdominal and thoracic legs and the back line are colored yellow-orange to red. The caterpillars of H. t. gecki are 75 to 100 millimeters long. As with the nominate subspecies, the young caterpillars are initially black and only after eating are olive-black. In the second caterpillar stage they are very similar to the caterpillars of the nominate subspecies. Her body has a yellow base color and bears a row of round, conspicuously bright white eye spots on each side of the back. The back line and the lines on the sides of the body are colored yellow-green. The head is dark orange, the anal horn almost black and dull. In the third and fourth instars of the caterpillar, the animals of the subspecies H. t. very similar to mauretanica . They are just as similar to this subspecies in the last stage, but differ from it by clearly narrower yellow longitudinal lines on both sides of the back and only a slight yellow color on the belly legs. As with the nominate subspecies, the eyespots of about two thirds of the individuals are tinged red. The caterpillars of H. t. phaelipae grow to be 75 to 85 millimeters long. The young caterpillars are initially green, quickly turning dark olive-green and finally olive-black as they eat. In the third stage, the pattern of the animals gradually appears clearly recognizable. The eye spots are then increasingly oval and initially white, after a few days they are colored ocher-orange. From the fourth stage onwards, the animals have the same pattern as they do in the last stage. Over 95% of the animals have a pale yellow-green longitudinal line from the head to the anal horn at the level of the eye spots. The black colored area around the eye spots is separated into an upper and lower part by this line. The coloring resembles some color variants of the caterpillars of the line swarm.
Doll
The doll is colored the same as the Spurge Hawk light yellowish-brown and has dark segment cuts. It is the same in appearance for all subspecies.
distribution and habitat
The nominate subspecies occurs mainly in the Canary Islands , including Lanzarote . A population from the Cape Verde Islands is also known, but its taxonomic status is unclear. The animals are widespread and frequent from sea level up to around 1000 meters, but mainly colonize dry and warm areas, such as steep slopes and cultivated land with vegetation of the host plants.
Hyles tithymali mauretanica is limited in its distribution to the mountain regions of North Africa, from Morocco to Tunisia. It inhabits dry, rocky slopes and, in more open areas, sandy, dry river beds with sufficient growth of milkweed. In the desert areas bordering the core of the distribution area, the populations mix with the subspecies Hyles tithymali deserticola . This subspecies occurs in North Africa south of the Atlas Mountains from east Mauritania via Morocco, south Algeria to east Egypt. The subspecies is also found in Senegal. It inhabits desert steppes, stable dunes, dry, sandy river beds and, especially in southern Algeria, also peripheral areas around oases. Presumably the distribution area at the time of the last Ice Age extended eastward into Yemen , where an isolated population still occurs today in the mountain regions, which is listed as a separate subspecies, Hyles tithymali himyarensis . It occurs in the juniper forest zone of the Yemeni highlands between 2000 and 2500 meters. Hyles tithymali gecki only occurs in Madeira and inhabits steep cliffs with abundant vegetation of Euphorbia piscatoria . Some populations in Portugal and western Spain appear to be hybrids between this subspecies and Hyles euphorbiae euphorbiae . The subspecies Hyles tithymali phaelipae , known since 2007 , has so far only been detected on El Hierro , but individual specimens from the neighboring island of La Palma look very similar to this subspecies, which makes further investigations necessary. The subspecies colonizes dry slopes with sufficient vegetation of Euphorbia broussonetii (= E. lamarckii auct.).
H. t. deserticola has also been observed several times on Fuerteventura, but mtDNA studies have shown that these individuals were pale specimens of the nominate subspecies. The light color is probably caused by feeding on Euphorbia paralias , which grows on hot and dry sand dunes.
Way of life
The Imagines of Hyles tithymali be both light and of flowers such as bougainvillea , tightened. At least with the nominate subspecies and also with H. t. gecki and H. t. deserticola has been proven that the moths are mainly active after midnight, with female partner recruitment and the subsequent mating between 1.30 and 3.00 a.m. This behavior clearly distinguishes Hyles tithymali from the closely related milkweed hawk, which is active from around 10 p.m. to midnight. H. t. deserticola is also active during the day on very hot days.
The caterpillars of H. t. deserticola tolerate temperatures above 36 ° C, in contrast to those of H. t. mauretanica , very good.
Flight and caterpillar times
The moths of the nominate subspecies occur year-round in continuously successive generations, but are rare from May to August. H. t. Deserticola also occurs year-round, but is most common in spring. From April to September all stages of development can be observed simultaneously. In this subspecies, prolonged rains in winter can cause mass occurrences. At H. t. gecki and H. t. phaelipae is believed to occur all year round; so far, moths of the former subspecies have been detected from April to October, and moths of the latter subspecies from February to October, each in several generations. H. t. Mauretanica flies in three generations each year in April / May, June / July and August / September. H. t. himyarensis in two to three generations from April to September.
The pre-imaginal stages of the nominate subspecies occur simultaneously all year round due to the continuous succession of generations, but the caterpillars are rare from July to October. It is the same with the caterpillars of H. t. deserticola , which are particularly common in April and May. The caterpillars of H. t. mauretanica occur from April to October and are very common in rainy years. The caterpillars of H. t. decki can be found from April to December, that of H. t. phaelipae mainly from March to December and that of H. t. himyarensis from April to October.
Food of the caterpillars
The caterpillars of the nominate subspecies feed mainly on Euphorbia regis-jubae and Euphorbia broussonetii , the former only growing on Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, the latter on the other Canary Islands. In addition, Euphorbia paralias and Euphorbia segetalis are occasionally eaten. The caterpillars of H. t. deserticola are found mainly in Euphorbia guyoniana , less often in Euphorbia calyptrata , Euphorbia rigida and Euphorbia terracina . The caterpillars of H. t. mauretanica feed on various herbaceous euphorbias, particularly Euphorbia paralias , Euphorbia terracina , Euphorbia characias , Euphorbia pinifolia and Euphorbia nicaeensis . H. t. decki only feeds on the Euphorbia piscatoria , which is endemic to Madeira , and H. t. phaelipae on Euphorbia broussonetii . H. t. himyarensis mainly feeds on various herbaceous euphorbias, especially Euphorbia cyparissioides . The caterpillars of this subspecies have also been found on Euphorbia peplus .
development
The eggs are laid in groups of up to 25 at the tips of young shoots of small host plants. The caterpillars hatch after four to eight days. Young caterpillars initially feed on the young plants, later the animals increasingly switch to larger, older plants, on which they eat relatively openly. Phases of intensive food consumption alternate with longer feeding pauses in which the animals sunbathe. It happens that so many caterpillars eat on a plant that large parts are devoured. In midsummer, development can be completed in as little as 20 days before pupation. The caterpillars of H. t. gecki are very similar in their way of life to those of the nominate subspecies, but are essentially only diurnal up to the last caterpillar stage. The caterpillars of H. t. phaelipae have almost the same way of life as that of the nominate subspecies.
As with the milkweed hawk, pupation takes place on the ground in a loosely spun cocoon into which parts of the plant, soil and the like are spun. The doll usually cannot tolerate freezing temperatures. Wintering takes place at H. t. mauretanica and H. t. gecki in the pupal stage, as in most individuals of H. t. deserticola In the nominate subspecies as well as the subspecies himyarensis and deserticola, the pupae often overlap two or more years before the adults hatch, which is an adaptation to a dry desert climate. The hatch eventually takes place after heavy rainfall.
Taxonomy and systematics
Depending on the author, the species is divided into a number of subspecies, but their relationships and status are more or less unclear. On the basis of mtDNA studies, however, it seems certain that the Hyles euphorbiae complex can be divided into two lines in the broader sense, namely the euphorbiae and the tithymali line. Within the tithymali line, in addition to the various subspecies of Hyles tithymali , Hyles costata and Hyles sammuti , they are considered to be the closest related species. In the case of the latter species in particular, however, the species status has not yet been unequivocally clarified. Because reproductive hybrids are common within the genus Hyles , it is conceivable that Hyles sammuti does not occur in pure form, but rather represents a hybrid between two species of the Hyles euphorbiae complex.
In the following, the subspecies of Hyles tithymali are listed according to Kitching / Cadiou (2000), which were also confirmed by the current mtDNA study by Hundsdoerfer / Kitching / Wink (2005):
- Hyles tithymali tithymali ( Boisduval , 1834)
- Hyles tithymali mauretanica ( Staudinger , 1871)
- Hyles tithymali himyarensis Meerman , 1988
- Hyles tithymali gecki de Freina , 1991
- Hyles tithymali deserticola ( Staudinger , 1901)
The two subspecies Hyles tithymali sammuti Eitschberger, Danner & Surholt, 1998 and Hyles tithymali cretica , Eitschberger, Danner & Surholt, 1998, which are mentioned in Pittaway, are shown as separate species in the two above-mentioned works. Pittaway also includes a new subspecies since 2007, which had to be described again by the authors in 2012 due to a formal error: Hyles tithymali phaelipae Gil-T. & Gil-Uceda, 2012 . The status of this subspecies should be well established on the basis of studies of adults and caterpillars.
Hyles tithymali mauretanica - dorsal view
Hyles tithymali mauretanica - △ Ventral view
literature
- AR Pittaway: The Hawkmoths of the Western Palaearctic. Harley Books, Colchester 1993, ISBN 0-946589-21-6 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Anna K. Hundsdoerfer, Ian J. Kitching, Michael Wink: A molecular phylogeny of the hawkmoth genus Hyles (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae, Macroglossinae). In: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 35 (2005) 442-458.
- ↑ a b c d e f Sphingidae of the Western Palaearctic: Hyles. AR Pittaway, accessed October 27, 2009 .
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Sphingidae of the Western Palaearctic: Hyles tithymali. AR Pittaway, accessed October 29, 2009 .
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i Sphingidae of the Western Palaearctic: Hyles tithymali mauretanica. AR Pittaway, accessed October 29, 2009 .
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k Sphingidae of the Western Palaearctic: Hyles tithymali deserticola. AR Pittaway, accessed October 29, 2009 .
- ↑ Sphingidae of the Western Palaearctic: Hyles euphorbiae conspicua. AR Pittaway, accessed October 29, 2009 .
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i Sphingidae of the Western Palaearctic: Hyles tithymali gecki. AR Pittaway, accessed October 29, 2009 .
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Sphingidae of the Western Palaearctic: Hyles tithymali phaelipae. AR Pittaway, accessed October 29, 2009 .
- ↑ a b c d e f Sphingidae of the Western Palaearctic: Hyles tithymali himyarensis. AR Pittaway, accessed October 29, 2009 .
- ^ Ian J. Kitching, Jean-Marie Cadiou: Hawkmoths of the World. An Annotated and Illustrated Revisionary Checklist (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae). Cornell University Press, New York 2000, ISBN 0-8014-3734-2
