Hyles svetlana
| Hyles svetlana | ||||||||||||
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Hyles svetlana |
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| Shovkoon , 2010 |
Hyles svetlana is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of moth (Sphingidae).
features
butterfly
The moths have a wingspan of 55 to 65 millimeters. Their forewings have a large discal spot within the pale median stripe. This is less extensive than in Hyles centralasiae and can also be completely absent. The central, pink-colored area on the hind wings can be strong or very weak. The black or dark olive-green post disk band on the hind wings is narrower. In some individuals a distinct pink tinge can be seen on both wings and the body. The antennae are thickened at the tip in both sexes and somewhat more club-shaped in the females. The labial palps are evenly scaled and cover the base of the suction trunk . The abdomen tapers conically to the tip and has strong thorns on the back, which are usually arranged in two oblique rows. The first segment of the tarsi of the forelegs is shorter than in Hyles euphorbiae and has fewer, but longer spines. The genitals of the males are similar to those of the rest of the Hyles species. Uncus and Gnathos are beak-shaped and narrow. The blades are broad, pear-shaped. The saccule ends in a simple, thin, narrowing process. The phallus is tubular and has a distinct, serrated and curved spur at the top.
Hyles svetlana is smaller than Hyles centralasiae , but the two species overlap. With Hyles svetlana , olive tones predominate in the coloring, with Hyles centralasiae the coloring is lighter and beige tones predominate. The hind wings of Hyles svetlana have a more clearly defined, broad, black submarginal band. The underside of the hind wings are pink, in Hyles centralasiae they are cream-colored, or rarely only slightly pink. The species can also be distinguished from Hyles seei in that it is smaller, that the forewings have a clearly recognizable post-disk mark, the lighter median stripe on the forewings is always clearly delimited and does not blur with the dark area at the edge of the wing, and the hindwings in turn are more distinct have a delineated, wide, black submarginal bandage.
egg
The small, almost spherical eggs have a diameter of 1.2 millimeters and are pale green.
Caterpillar
The caterpillars are 65 to 70 millimeters long. They are initially 2.5 millimeters long and pale pink. The head, legs, thoracic shield and anal horn are blackish brown. The anal horn is short and directed upwards. There are rows of similarly colored setae on the body . The head and thoracic segments have a pink tinge. In the second stage, the basic body color is still pale pink and corresponds to the flower color of your food plants. A whitish dorso-lateral line with the beginnings of eye spots is formed. You can also see a very delicate orange longitudinal line on the middle of the back. In the third stage, the color is similar to that before, but the basic color can vary and can also be greenish-olive. The dorso-lateral line is more clearly defined, the eye-spots are pure white and a whitish pink ventro-lateral longitudinal line is added. The head, the pusher and the anal horn are black, the back line is pale orange. In the fourth stage, the basic color is greenish olive with scattered white, often dark, small dots. The head, legs, anal horn, and thoracic shield are black. Adult caterpillars are also colored, but have a light, yellow back line. On the sides of the body, the dorso-lateral eye spots are large, white or yellow and black rings. The anal horn, legs, and pusher are still black. The black circled stigmas are yellow.
Doll
The doll is 37 to 42 millimeters long. It is pale greenish brown and has semi-translucent skin. The proboscis is fused with the body and does not protrude forward. The cremaster is large and curved ventrally.
Occurrence
The species is distributed in the lowlands of southern Kazakhstan from the coasts of the Caspian Sea to the Chinese border, southern Uzbekistan and northern Turkmenistan .
The animals are restricted to the semi-deserts in the lowlands, where steppe candles ( Eremurus ) grow. This also distinguishes the species from Hyles centralasiae , which can be found up to high mountains. Hyles svetlana , on the other hand, was caught at a maximum of 250 meters above sea level.
Way of life
The moths fly in one generation from late April to late May, with the main flight time being mid-May. The females lay their eggs directly on the buds or on the stems close to the ground on the host plants. The caterpillars are mainly found in May and early June, with the entire development between egg and pupa being completed in just 9 to 11 days. The caterpillars feed on steppe candles , at least in Turkmenistan, in particular on Eremurus sogriganus , Eremurus inderiensis and Eremurus ambigens , but probably also on other species of the genus.
Newly hatched caterpillars prefer to eat the pollen sacs and often sit on the flowers. With increasing size, the entire flower, including the not yet ripe ovule, is eaten. Older caterpillars feed while sitting open on the tall flowers. There are no known parasitoids that infect the species. Pupation takes place in a loosely spun, web-like cocoon between parts of the plant on the ground. The pupa overwinters, and it can often linger for several years before the butterfly hatches.
Taxonomy and systematics
The moths are similar to Hyles centralasiae , but an mtDNA investigation showed that the taxon is closely related to Hyles siehei . This species in turn is genetically removed from Hyles centralasiae with sufficient certainty . Hyles svetlana was originally only described as a subspecies of Hyles seei Shovkoon in 2010 , but was raised to species rank by De Freina & Geck (2014).