Akbesia davidi
| Akbesia davidi | ||||||||||||
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Akbesia davidi ♂ |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Akbesia | ||||||||||||
| Rothschild & Jordan , 1903 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Akbesia davidi | ||||||||||||
| ( Oberthür , 1884) |
Akbesia davidi is the only species of the genus Akbesia from the butterfly family of the swarmers (Sphingidae). The rare species is named after the town of Akbez near Hassa in Turkey. Since large parts of the natural vegetation in this and many other areas further east have been destroyed, it is possible that the species has become extinct in large parts of its former Turkish range. Since the caterpillars alsoeat pistachios , the use of insecticides in agriculture also contributes to the decline of the species.
features
The moths have a wingspan of 60 to 70 millimeters. They are very brightly colored and are difficult to confuse with other species in the western Palearctic . The apex of the forewings is pointed. The outer edge of the forewings is indented and convex. Both a frenulum and a retinaculum are formed. The proboscis is so long that it reaches over the middle of the abdomen. The labial palps are short and not directed forward. There are eyelash-like scales above the compound eyes . The antennae of the males have long, seriate setae , those of the females are simply cylindrical and have neither lateral pits nor elongated setae. The last link is short in both sexes. The splints ( tibia ) have no spines, but the splints of the front legs have a long apical spine. There are two pairs of spurs on the back rails. The pulvillus is small. A paronychium is present, but the ventral lobe has receded. The wing veins Rs and M1 on the hind wings are branched, the vein M2 originates in the middle of the cell. The animals are not very variable in their coloration.
The eggs are 1.55 by 1.90 millimeters in size in relation to the size of the animals. They are whitish-yellow in color.
The caterpillars are up to 45 millimeters long. After hatching, they are about six millimeters long, whitish, with a black anal horn . As they eat they turn greenish-yellow and have dark green stripes on their backs. Both the head and the body are provided with fine tubercles. During the next two caterpillar stages, the animals turn blue-green, develop white oblique stripes on the sides and the anal horn turns pink. In the last stage there are two color variations. One is a solid blue-green color, the other is the same, but has salmon-colored spots around the spiracles and at the base of the follower . Below the spiracles runs a pale yellow longitudinal line that runs from the head to the first salmon-colored spot on the abdomen. In addition, the animals have seven oblique stripes on the sides, which are also colored pale yellow. The cheeks of the triangular shaped head and the anal horn are also colored. The belly legs are basal yellow and have salmon-colored "socks". Adult caterpillars are similar to those of the linden hawk ( Mimas tiliae ). A pink-brown color variant also occurs rarely.
The doll is about 30 millimeters long. It is glossy dark mahogany brown in color and has a very sharply pointed cremaster . It looks like that of the evening primrose hawk ( Proserpinus proserpina ).
Occurrence
The species is isolated from the south of Turkey, the north of Syria and Israel, the west of Jordan, the south-east of Turkey, the north-east of Iraq, the south-east of Georgia, the north of Iran, the Zāgros Mountains in the west of Iran, the Iranian Balochistan and eastern Afghanistan. The species could also be found in Azerbaijan, the Elburs Mountains in northern Iran, southern Iran and northern Afghanistan, where similar habitats exist.
The species occurs only locally, but often in large numbers in certain places in rocky, hilly habitats with isolated vegetation of trees and bushes such as oaks ( Quercus ), olive trees ( Olea ), Ceratonia and pistachios ( Pistacia ).
Way of life
The moths are attracted to artificial light sources, where they can often be observed in large numbers. The adults do not eat any food, but they do suck water when it is offered to them.
Flight and caterpillar times
The moths occur in two generations per year. In Iran, they fly in April and May and from late July to August. In Jordan, the species flies in early to late June, depending on the altitude.
Food of the caterpillars
The caterpillars were found on the Atlantic pistachio ( Pistacia atlantica ) and on Pistacia terebinthus subsp. palaestina , a subspecies of the turpentine pistachio ( Pistacia terebinthus ). When rearing, they also eat wig shrub ( Cotinus coggygria ) and spice sumac ( Rhus coriaria ), which suggests that these plants are also eaten in the wild.
development
The females lay their eggs individually on the underside of the leaves of the food plants. After hatching, the caterpillars look for a suitable leaf in order to spin a silk patch where they pupate. Only from the second caterpillar stage do they feed on the underside of this leaf. Pupation takes place in a loose cocoon between parts of the plant on the ground. The pupa hibernates.
Specialized enemies
The caterpillar fly Drino atropivora has been identified as a parasitoid of the species.
supporting documents
Individual evidence
- ^ 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 .
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l Sphingidae of the Western Palaearctic. AR Pittaway, accessed December 30, 2012 .