Theretra lycetus

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White-edged hunter hawkmoth
Theretra lycetus
Theretra lycetus ♂ △
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Sphingidae
Genus: Theretra
Species:
T. lycetus
Binomial name
Theretra lycetus
(Cramer, 1775)[1]
Synonyms
  • Sphinx lycetus Cramer, 1775
  • Chaerocampa rosina Butler, 1875
  • Chaerocampa prunosa Butler, 1876

Theretra lycetus, the white-edged hunter hawkmoth, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It was described by Pieter Cramer in 1775.

Distribution[edit]

Is known from south-east Asia, including Malaysia, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.[2]

Description[edit]

The abdomen upperside has pale longitudinal double lines, which become indistinct posteriorly. The forewing upperside is similar to Theretra japonica, but the contrast between the darker postmedian lines and intervening pale bands is stronger. The hindwing upperside has a reddish median band of variable width.

Differs from theylia in being brownish in color, with but a slight pink tinge; sides of abdomen golden yellow; the two dorsal lines paler. Fore wing with the oblique stripes from the apex silvery white. Hind wing blackish, with some flesh-colored suffusion on the submarginal area. Underside more ochreous and less pink than in theylia. The form lycetus = rosina from Mussooree and Sikhim is pinker in tone and has more flesh-color on the hind wing than drancus - prunosa from Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).

References[edit]

  1. ^ "CATE Creating a Taxonomic eScience - Sphingidae". Cate-sphingidae.org. Archived from the original on 2012-10-23. Retrieved 2011-10-25. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ Pittaway, A.R. & Kitching, I.J. "White-edged hunter hawkmoth". Sphingidae of the Eastern Palaearctic species list. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  3. ^ Hampson, G. F. (1892). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma: Moths Volume I. Vol. Moths - Vol. I. Taylor and Francis – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.