Macroglossum corythus explained

Macroglossum corythus is a species of hawk moth of the family Sphingidae. It was described by Francis Walker in 1856 and is found throughout the Indo-Australian tropics east to New Caledonia.^{[1] [2]}

Description

The wingspan is 50–66 mm. The coloration is varying slightly in subspecies and climate of the country. Head, thorax and abdomen is rufus in color. Abdomen is without the lateral black marks on distal segments. The anal tufts are ruddy at tips. Forewings with all lines are obsolescent, where the postmedial lines less bent. The markings being reddish and ill-defined. Hindwings with the band are pure yellow and band is narrow.^[3]

Larva is dark violet brown with dorsal specks. There is a subdorsal yellow line on the 2nd and 4th somites and 10th and 11th somites. The horn is long and tuberculate. In a later stage, there are yellow and olive-brown transverse dorsal lines and yellow lateral spots. Larvae have been recorded from Loganiaceae and Rubiaceae species. Pupa is bone colored with a black dorsal stripe on the frons and thorax.^{[4] [5]}

Subspecies

• Macroglossum corythus corythus (Sri Lanka, southern India)
• Macroglossum corythus luteata Butler, 1875 (north-eastern India, Bangladesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Thailand, eastern and southern China, Taiwan, Japan (Tsushima Island), Malaysia (Peninsular, Sarawak, Sabah), Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Flores, Sumba, Sulawesi), the Philippines (Palawan, Mindanao, Luzon), Vietnam)
• Macroglossum corythus oceanicum (Rothschild & Jordan, 1915) (Chagos)
• Macroglossum corythus platyxanthum Rothschild & Jordan, 1903 (southern Japan)
• Macroglossum corythus xanthurus Rothschild & Jordan, 1903 (Tenimber)
• Macroglossum corythus pylene Felder, 1861 (New Guinea, Amboina, Buru, Moluccas)
• Macroglossum corythus novirlandum D'Abrera, 1986 (Bismarck islands)
• Macroglossum corythus novebudensis Clark, 1926 (New Hebrides)
• Macroglossum corythus fulvicaudata Butler, 1882 (New Britain)
• Macroglossum corythus fuscicauda Rothschild & Jordan, 1903 (Loyalty Islands)

Macroglossum corythus luteata and Macroglossum corythus oceanicum are treated as species (Macroglossum luteata and Macroglossum oceanicum) by some authors.

External links

• Pinhey, E. (1962): Hawk Moths of Central and Southern Africa. Longmans Southern Africa, Cape Town.
• Barnett . L. K. . Emms . C. W. . Holloway . J. D. . amp . July 1, 1999 . The moths of the Chagos Archipelago with notes on their biogeography . Journal of Natural History . 33 . 7 . 1021–1038 . 10.1080/002229399300065.
• Web site: Pittaway . A. R. . Kitching . I. J. . Macroglossum corythus platyxanthum Rothschild & Jordan, 1903 . Sphingidae of the Eastern Palaearctic.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Macroglossum corythus Walker . The Moths of Borneo . 6 July 2016 . 11 March 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170311233302/http://www.mothsofborneo.com/part-3/sphingidae/sphingidae_28_9.php . live .
2. Web site: The Hawkmoths (Sphingidae, Macroglossinae) of Papua Indonesia . Papua Insects Foundation . 6 July 2016 . 11 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160311033151/http://www.papua-insects.nl/insect%20orders/Lepidoptera/Sphingidae/Macroglossum/Macroglossum%20corythus.htm . live .
3. Book: Hampson, G. F. . George Hampson

   . George Hampson . The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma: Moths Volume I . Taylor and Francis . 1892 . Biodiversity Heritage Library . 2018-01-14 . 2017-09-30 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170930134500/http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/180068#page/5/mode/1up . live .

4. Web site: Pittaway . A. R. . Kitching . I. J. . 2018 . Macroglossum corythus luteata Butler, 1875 . Sphingidae of the Eastern Palaearctic . December 15, 2018 . October 11, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101011101135/http://tpittaway.tripod.com/china/m_lut.htm . dead .
5. Web site: Macroglossum corythus . Butterfly House . 6 July 2016 . 5 June 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160605082756/http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/sphi/corythus.html . live .