Mimas (genus)

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Mimas
Linden hawk (Mimas tiliae)

Linden hawk ( Mimas tiliae )

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Swarmers (Sphingidae)
Subfamily : Smerinthinae
Genre : Mimas
Scientific name
Mimas
Huebner , 1819
Linden swarm caterpillar ready to pupate

Mimas is a genus within the butterfly family of swarmers (Sphingidae). The genus has its distribution in the Palearctic .

features

The moths are very similar to those of the genus Marumba , but have a corrugated instead of serrated outer edge of the fore wing. The proboscis is very short and regressed. The labial palps are large scaly and hairy. The connection between the first and second segment is covered by the scales and cannot be seen from the outside. The labial palps are significantly larger in the males than in the females. The antennae are triangular in cross-section in the males and round in the females. On the sides, the males have finely hairy grooves on the edge, with the upper edge being hairy longer. The females have no grooves and elongated hairs. In both sexes, the last segment of the antennae is short. The abdomen has only sparsely arranged spurs on the sides. These are soft and partially modified into scales. The ventral side is covered with long scales. The tibia of the hind legs have two pairs of spurs.

The eggs are spherical and pale green, but turn slightly brown in color after a few days.

The caterpillars are very similar to those of the genus Marumba , but when fully grown they have a body that is clearly tapered in diameter towards the front. The anal plate has a yellow, wart-like structure. The anal horn is slightly curved, directed upwards and grainy.

The pupae look similar to those of the genera Marumba and Smerinthus . They are somewhat elongated, the surface is rough. The cremaster is curved dorsally, has an elongated tip with a pair of thorns and further lateral thorns.

Way of life

The caterpillars feed mainly on trees from the linden family (Tilioideae), beech family (Fagaceae), birch family (Betulaceae), elm family (Ulmaceae) and rose family (Rosaceae).

Systematics

In Europe the genus Mimas is only represented by the linden hawk, two species of the genus are known worldwide:

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e Sphingidae of the Western Palaearctic. AR Pittaway, accessed August 3, 2008 .
  2. ↑ Mimas. Fauna Europaea, accessed August 1, 2008 .
  3. ^ 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

literature

  • AR Pittaway: The Hawkmoths of the western Palaearctic. Harley Books 1993, ISBN 0-946589-21-6 .