Hyles chamyla
| Hyles chamyla | ||||||||||||
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Hyles chamyla , male |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
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| ( Denso , 1913) |
Hyles chamyla is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of moth (Sphingidae).
features
The moths have a wingspan of 52 to 75 millimeters. They are quite variable in their coloration and may resemble pale, cream-colored Hyles hippophaes bienerti , or Hyles seei . The Forma apocyni can easily be mistaken for a hybrid between Hyles euphorbiae and Hyles hippophaes bienerti . There are also individuals that resemble Hyles centralasiae , as they have a large, dark-colored discoidal area within the pale medial band on the forewings, which can, however, be very pale or distinct. The pink area of the hind wings can be strong or very pale or, instead of pink, also ocher yellow.
The eggs are unknown, but their appearance probably corresponds to those of Hyles euphorbiae . The caterpillars are 70 to 80 millimeters long and come in a grass-green and a bluish-gray color variant. They are similar to those of Hyles hippophaes bienerti . The color of the caterpillars does not change during development. In the last stage, the caterpillars are pale gray-green, some have a bluish gray tint. The legs, abdomen , pusher , head and thoracic shield are also colored. The body of the animals is covered with small yellowish white dots, which, however, are usually larger and less numerous than in Hyles hippophaes bienerti . They can also be absent. The anal horn is yellow and has a black tip. The spiracles are pale and often have dark spots on both sides. In contrast to Hyles hippophaes bienerti , there is no dorso-lateral stripe and the elongated yellow spot at the base of the anal horn is also missing. A yellowish white longitudinal line runs ventro-laterally from the first thoracic segment to the eighth abdominal segment . Some caterpillars have a light cinnamon-colored back, others have large, regular spots. The pupa is very similar to that of Hyles euphorbiae , but is slightly smaller.
Occurrence
The species is only known from the south of Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan and Tajikistan . It could also occur in the river valleys along the entire southern slopes of the Tian Shan in China and southern Turkmenistan, west to Kopet-Dag , where the species' food plants are common. From China, the species has also been detected from Kumul , the type locality, and Barkol in northern Xinjiang and further west of Xayar and the adjacent southwestern Mongolia and there also further north. Since the species can easily be confused with Hyles hippophaes bienerti and Hyles euphorbiae , the exact distribution area is unclear. It is conceivable that reports from the 1930s about damage to Apocynum from Kyrgyzstan could possibly be attributed to Hyles chamyla , or hybrids.
Be settled Oleaster / Apocynum -Dickichte along rivers and floodplains. However, since Apocynum is also cultivated as a fiber plant in agriculture and canals are created to irrigate fields, the species has also spread along irrigation canals in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan and occurs there as a pest on the Apocynum fields.
Way of life
The moths fly briskly on Cistanche flowers at sunset . During the day, most of the moths rest on tufts of grass. They fly in Tajikistan in three generations per year from late April to mid-May, mid-June to mid-July and late July to late August. The caterpillars are hasty eaters and grow very quickly in the fourth and fifth instar. You can find them from May to June, in July and from mid-August to mid-September. They feed on Apocynum scabrum and Apocynum venetum . Pupation takes place as with Hyles hippophaes bienerti in a chamber in the ground. In the summer generations, the dolls rest for only 9 to 14 days, the last generation hibernates in the doll. An unknown species of caterpillar fly (Tachinidae) is known from Tajikistan as a parasitoid .
Taxonomy and systematics
The subspecies Hyles chamyla apocyni Shchetkin, 1956 is not considered valid and is at best referred to as a form by Pittaway. In many species of the genus Hyles , which also colonize dry desert and semi-desert areas, the moths that live there differ from those that grow up in less dry and hot habitats. This also applies to Hyles chamyla . However, there is not yet sufficiently researched evidence that Hyles chamyla apocyni may be natural hybrids between Hyles chamyla and Hyles euphorbiae .
supporting documents
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g HYLES CHAMYLA (Denso, 1913). AR Pittaway: Sphingidae of the Western Palaearctic, accessed December 28, 2014 .
