Macroglossum

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Macroglossum
Pigeon tail (Macroglossum stellatarum)

Pigeon tail ( Macroglossum stellatarum )

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Swarmers (Sphingidae)
Subfamily : Macroglossinae
Genre : Macroglossum
Scientific name
Macroglossum
Scopoli , 1777
Head of a pigeon tail. At the end of the feeler you can see the tick.
Macroglossum pyrrhosticta
Caterpillar of a pigeon tail

Macroglossum is a genus within the butterfly family of swarmers (Sphingidae).

features

The head is broad and has no noticeable tufts of hair. The snout is very long and triangular in shape. The antennae are club-shaped and thickened in both sexes and have a small, short hook at the end. The outer edge of the forewings is never toothed or indented in a wave shape, the tip of the forewings is always pointed, but is not sickle-shaped. The compound eyes have characteristic eyelashes. The labial palps are wide, their end is directed forward, pointed and triangular. The thorax and abdomen are broad and flattened. At the end of the abdomen, there are tufts of hair directed to the side and back. The sternite of the seventh abdominal segment of the females is triangular and has a membrane-like tip that is not spiky. The tibiae of the middle and rear pairs of legs are of different lengths, the spur of the middle tibia carries a crest of stiff bristles or spikes. The tarsi of the middle legs also have a crest at the base. The spurs of the posterior tibia are formed very differently. The veins R2 + R3 and R4 of the forewings are different from the genus Hemaris on the side facing away from the body (distal) not grown together. The veins Rs and M1 arise separately in the upper area of ​​the cell on the hind wings, M3 and Cu1 are never grown together.

The eggs are small and spherical and light yellowish or yellow-green to green in color.

The caterpillars have a small, rounded, slightly oval or angular head capsule. The thorax is slightly tapered towards the front. The body of the animals has longitudinal lines, is grainy and has no eye spots . The anal horn is straight and erect.

The pupa is yellowish or brownish with black speckles. The keeled proboscis runs unrolled along the body and forms a curved bulge on the head side of the doll's shell. The back of the first to fifth abdominal segment is flattened. The stigmas are outlined in dark on the abdomen. The Kremaster is designed differently.

Occurrence

The genus is common in the tropics and subtropics of the ancient world.

Way of life

The caterpillars pupate in a loosely spun cocoon on the ground. They feed on herbaceous plants, especially from the families of the red family (Rubiaceae), valerian family (Valerianaceae) and carnation family (Caryophyllaceae).

Systematics

In Europe the genus Macroglossum is only represented by the pigeon tail ( Macroglossum stellatarum ). A total of at least 116 species of the genus are known:

supporting documents

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Sphingidae of the Western Palaearctic. AR Pittaway, accessed March 5, 2008 .
  2. ↑ Macroglossum. Fauna Europaea, accessed February 3, 2010 .
  3. ↑ Hemaris venata (C. Felder, 1861). Sphingidae Taxonomic Inventory, accessed June 29, 2015 .

Web links

Commons : Macroglossum  - collection of images, videos and audio files