Sphingidae of the Eastern Palaearctic - Ambulyx semiplacida interplacida

AMBULYX SEMIPLACIDA INTERPLACIDA Brechlin, 2006

Male Ambulyx semiplacida interplacida, Nanling Shan, Hunan, China. Photo: © Ronald Brechlin

Male Ambulyx semiplacida interplacida (underside), Nanling Shan, Hunan, China. Photo: © Ronald Brechlin

TAXONOMY

Ambulyx interplacida Brechlin, 2006, Nachr. entomol. Ver. Apollo, N.F. 27(3): 103. Type locality: China, Jiangxi, Wuyi Shan, Xipaihe village, 1500m (27°54'N, 117°20'E).

Synonym. Ambulyx amara Kobayashi, Wang & Yano, 2006.

Synonym. Ambulyx pseudoregia Eitschberger & Bergmann, 2006.

Synonym. Ambulyx regia Eitschberger, 2006.

Note. The female allotype of Ambulyx regia has been found to be a female of Ambulyx sericeipennis sericeipennis Butler, 1875 (Brechlin, 2014c). Ambulyx regia itself was synonymized with Ambulyx semiplacida interplacida by Brechlin, 2014c.

ADULT DESCRIPTION AND VARIATION

Wingspan: 112-120mm. Similar to Ambulyx semiplacida semiplacida Inoue, 1990, but forewing uppersides without the violet tinge of that subspecies. The wing undersides are noticably more reddish than in Ambulyx semiplacida semiplacida.

This subspecies is very variable in coloration, ranging from pale grey to purplish-grey, or even very clear purple. It is also the smallest and most uniformly patterned of the Ambulyx semiplacida subspecies group; there are hardly any markings on the forewing upperside, nor any basal spot, and very inconspicuous costal spot. It is also the subspecies with the least bilobed gnathos (Haxaire & Melichar, 2023).

ADULT BIOLOGY

Unknown.

FLIGHT-TIME

China: 4.iv (Guangxi); 15.iv-1.v (Hunan); 10.v (Sichuan); vi (Jiangxi; Guangdong; Guangxi); vii (Jiangxi).

EARLY STAGES

OVUM: Unknown.

LARVA: Unknown.

PUPA: Unknown.

Larval hostplants. Unknown.

PARASITOIDS

Unknown.

LOCAL DISTRIBUTION

China: Sichuan (Ya'an); Yunnan (Kunming; Yanmen); Hunan (Nanling Shan, 1300-1500m); Jiangxi (Wuyi Shan, 1500-1800m; Le'an); Guangdong (Nanling National Forest Park, 1100m); Guangxi (Mao'ershan Nature Reserve, 2100m; Yinzhulaoshan Provincial Nature Reserve, Guilin).

[Many of the individuals from southern China (Yunnan, Sichuan and Guangxi), and northeastern India (Assam), were originally assigned to Ambulyx semiplacida semiplacida Inoue, 1990. However, this taxon is endemic to Taiwan.]

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION

So far, only known from southern China (Sichuan, Yunnan, Hunan, Jiangxi, Guangdong and Guangxi).

[The populations originally recorded from Bhutan across to northeastern India (Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram) are now regarded as a separate species, namely Ambulyx bhutana Brechlin, 2014]

Regional distribution of Ambulyx semiplacida interplacida. Map: © NHMUK.

BIOGEOGRAPHICAL AFFILIATION

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