Agrius convolvuli

Agrius convolvuli
Agrius convolvuli (dorsal) MHNT
Agrius convolvuli (ventral) MHNT
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Sphingidae
Genus: Agrius
Species: A. convolvuli
Binomial name
Agrius convolvuli
(Linnaeus, 1758)[1]
Synonyms
  • Sphinx convolvuli Linnaeus, 1758
  • Herse convolvuli
  • Protoparce orientalis Butler, 1876
  • Sphinx abadonna Fabricius, 1798
  • Sphinx distans Butler, 1874
  • Sphinx patatas Ménétriés, 1857
  • Sphinx pseudoconvolvuli Schaufuss, 1870
  • Sphinx roseafasciata Koch, 1865
  • Sphinx convolvuli alicea Neuburger, 1899
  • Sphinx convolvuli batatae Christ, 1882
  • Sphinx convolvuli nigricans Cannaviello, 1900
  • Agrius convolvuli aksuensis O. Bang-Haas, 1927
  • Agrius convolvuli fuscosignata Tutt, 1904
  • Agrius convolvuli grisea Tutt, 1904
  • Agrius convolvuli ichangensis Tutt, 1904
  • Agrius convolvuli intermedia Tutt, 1904
  • Agrius convolvuli javanensis Tutt, 1904
  • Agrius convolvuli major Tutt, 1904
  • Agrius convolvuli minor Tutt, 1904
  • Agrius convolvuli obscura Tutt, 1904
  • Agrius convolvuli suffusa Tutt, 1904
  • Agrius convolvuli tahitiensis Tutt, 1904
  • Agrius convolvuli unicolor Tutt, 1904
  • Agrius convolvuli variegata Tutt, 1904
  • Agrius convolvuli virgata Tutt, 1904
  • Herse convolvuli extincta Gehlen, 1928
  • Herse convolvuli marshallensis Clark, 1922
  • Herse convolvuli peitaihoensis Clark, 1922
  • Herse convolvuli posticoconflua Bryk, 1946
  • Protoparce convolvuli fasciata Pillich, 1909
  • Protoparce convolvuli indica Skell, 1913

The Convolvulus Hawk-moth, Agrius convolvuli, is a large hawk-moth. It is common throughout Europe, Asia, Africa[2] and Australia.[3] partly as a migrant.

Description and habits

The wingspan is 80–105 mm. This hawkmoth's basic coloration is in grayish tones, but the abdomen has a broad gray dorsal stripe and pink and black bands edged with white on the sides. The hindwings are light gray with darker broad crosslines.[4]

Distribution map

Its favourite time is around sunset and during the twilight, when it is seen in gardens hovering over the flowers. This moth is very attracted to light, so it is often killed by cars on highways. Its caterpillars eat the leaves of the Convolvulus, hence its Latin name "convolvuli". Other recorded foodplants include a wide range of plants in the Araceae, Convolvulaceae, Leguminosae and Malvaceae families. It can be a pest of cultivated Ipomoea. It feeds on the wing and has a very long proboscis (longer than its body) that enables it to feed on long trumpet-like flowers such as Nicotiana sylvestris.[5]

The caterpillars can be in a number of different colours. As well as brown (pictured below) they have been seen in bright green and black.[6]

Similar species

A. convulvuli is unmistakable in the eastern area of distribution, in the western area of distribution it can be mistaken for Agrius cingulatus. This species, found mainly in South and Central America is repeatedly detected on the western shores of Europe. Agrius cingulatus can be distinguished on the basis of the clearly stronger pink coloring of the abdominal segments and a similarly colored rear wing base. In addition, Agrius convolvuli forma pseudoconvolvuli Schaufuss, 1870 has some resemblance with North American species in the genus Manduca, for instance Manduca sexta.

Gallery

References

  1. "CATE Creating a Taxonomic eScience - Sphingidae". Cate-sphingidae.org. Archived from the original on 2012-11-13. Retrieved 2011-11-01.
  2. JSTOR 109269
  3. "Ozanimals". Ozanimals. Retrieved 2011-11-01.
  4. Hampson G. F. (1892). "The Fauna Of British India Including Ceylon And Burma Moths Vol-i". Digital Library of India. p. 558. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  5. Michael Chinery, Collins Guide to the Insects of Great Britain and Western Europe
  6. "Convolvulus hawkmoth". Sphingidae of the Eastern Palaearctic species list. Retrieved 6 July 2016.

External links

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