Sphingidae of the Eastern Palaearctic - Acosmerycoides harterti

ACOSMERYCOIDES HARTERTI (Rothschild, 1895) -- Hartert's hawkmoth

Male Acosmerycoides harterti. Photo: © NHMUK.

TAXONOMY

Ampelophaga harterti Rothschild, 1895, Dt. ent. Z., Iris 7: 299. Type locality: [India,] Upper Assam, [Lakhimpur,] Margherita.

Synonym. Ampelophaga harterti Rothschild, 1895.

Synonym. Rhagastis leucocraspis Hampson, 1910.

Synonym. Acosmerycoides insignata Mell, 1922.

Synonym. Acosmerycoides horishana Matsumura, 1927.

Synonym. Ampelophaga takamukui Matsumura, 1927.

Synonym. Clanis obscura Mell, 1958.

ADULT DESCRIPTION AND VARIATION

Wingspan: 80--90mm.

Adult of Acosmerycoides harterti, Jiucai Ling, Guizhou, China. Photo: © Viktor Sinjaev.

ADULT BIOLOGY

FLIGHT-TIME

China: iv (Guangdong; Hunan); 9.v (Yunnan); 31.v-1.vi (Guangdong); vi (Yunnan; Hainan); vii (Guizhou; Guangxi; Yunnan); viii (Fujian). Taiwan: v (Nantou Hsien); vi (Chiayi Hsien); ix (Hualien Hsien).

EARLY STAGES

OVUM: Undescribed:

LARVA: In the final instar the extra long horn of the fourth instar is sometimes reduced to a stout, slightly curved, 'normal' sphingid form, which can be bluish or reddish. There are both green and brown larval forms.

Final instar larva of Acosmerycoides harterti, Jiajiuliao, Wulai District, New Taipei City, Taiwan, 28.x.2011, 86m. Photo: © Jue Liao, courtesy Taiwan Moth Information Center.

Final instar larva of Acosmerycoides harterti. Image: Mell, 1922b

PUPA:

Larval hostplants. Vitis and Saurauia in India (Bell & Scott, 1937). Ampelopsis cantoniensis (Hook. & Arn.) Planch., Mussaenda macrophylla Wall. and Mussaenda pubescens Dryand. on Taiwan. The latter genus is in the Rubiaceae.

PARASITOIDS

LOCAL DISTRIBUTION

China: Anhui (Mt. Huang Shan); Zhejiang (Kuocang Mountain Nature Reserve); Hubei (Badong; Lichuan; Julong Shan); Yunnan (Simao/Pu'er; Mengla County, Mt. Leigongyan, 2000m; Gaoligong Shan; Zhaotong); Guizhou (Jiucai Ling; Xinzhaidashan, Zhijin County, 1000-2000m); Hunan (Nan Ling, 740-800m; Dayong); Jiangxi; Fujian (Guangze, 1200m; Longqi Shan); Guangdong (Longtou Shan; Nanling National Forest Park, 1100m); Guangxi (Dayao Shan; Maoer Shan, 1800m); Hainan (Duowen Ling, nr Lingao; Longhushan, Wenchang City).

Taiwan: Hualien Hsien (Taroko National Park); Nantou Hsien (Puli); Chiayi Hsien (Chiayi); Taipei Hsien (Fushan); New Taipei City (Jiajiuliao); Yilan Hsien (Fushan Botanical Garden).

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION

From Bhutan (Irungbam & Irungbam, 2019), Assam (Subhasish Arandhara, 2016), Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur (Jatishwor Irungbam & Fric, 2021), India, eastwards across northern Burma/Myanmar (Banmauk, Sagaing Province) and southern China to Taiwan, and then south to Thailand, Laos and Vietnam (Le & Vu, 2024).

BIOGEOGRAPHICAL AFFILIATION

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