Deilephila

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Deilephila
Deilephila elpenor MHNT dos.jpg
Elephant hawk moth
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Sphingidae
Subtribe: Choerocampina
Genus: Deilephila
Laspeyres, 1809 [1]
Species
Synonyms
  • ChoerocampaDuponchel, 1835
  • CinogonButler, 1881
  • DilephilaHampson, 1893
  • DilephilaKuznetsova, 1906
  • DilophilaAgassiz, 1846
  • ElpenorAgassiz, 1846
  • ElpenorOken, 1815
  • EumorphaHübner, 1806
  • MetopsilusDuncan, 1836

The genus Deilephila is part of the family Sphingidae, the hawk-moths or sphinxes. The genus was erected by Jakob Heinrich Laspeyres in 1809. It consists of a small number of Palearctic species most of which have common names involving the phrase "elephant hawk moth". They include the elephant hawk moth, Deilephila elpenor; the small elephant hawk moth (D. porcellus) and the Chitral elephant hawk moth (D. rivularis). The oleander hawk moth is sometimes classified in this genus as D. nerii , but sometimes treated in genus Daphnis .

Oleander hawk moth caterpillar Oleander Hawk Moth Caterpillar (1).jpg
Oleander hawk moth caterpillar

The adults are quite similar to those of the related and larger genus Hyles . However their eyelashes are much more distinct, and the numerous spines on their abdomens are less strongly chitinized. They lay pale glossy green eggs. The larvae are not typical of hawk moth caterpillars, with the horn on the terminal segment being less pronounced than usual, and absent in some species. The head and thorax segments can be retracted into the first and second segments of the abdomen, which then appear enlarged and display eyespots.

The caterpillars feed mainly on plants of the Onagraceae and Rubiaceae families.


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<i>Daphnis nerii</i> Species of moth

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<i>Sphinx ligustri</i> Species of moth

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<i>Deilephila porcellus</i> Species of moth

Deilephila porcellus, the small elephant hawk-moth, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.

<i>Deilephila askoldensis</i> Species of moth

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<i>Deilephila rivularis</i> Species of moth

Deilephila rivularis, the Chitral elephant hawk moth, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Jean Baptiste Boisduval in 1875. It is found in east and central Afghanistan, Pakistan and in northern India.

References

  1. "CATE Creating a Taxonomic eScience - Sphingidae". Cate-sphingidae.org. 2009-07-21. Archived from the original on 2012-08-04. Retrieved 2011-10-26.