ACOSMERYX SERICEUS (Walker, 1856)

Female Acosmeryx sericeus. Photo: © BMNH Male Acosmeryx sericeus. Photo: © BMNH

TAXONOMY

Philampelus sericeus Walker, 1856, List Specimens lepid. Insects Colln. Br. Mus. 8: 181. Type locality: [Bangladesh,] Sylhet.


ADULT DESCRIPTION AND VARIATION

Wingspan: 96--106mm.


Adult Acosmeryx sericeus, Thailand. Photo: © Ian Kitching Adult Acosmeryx sericeus, Bukit Fraser, Malaysia. Photo: © C.W. Gan.

ADULT BIOLOGY


FLIGHT-TIME

China: vi (Yunnan); 24.vii (Hong Kong).

Kendrick (2002) states that it is multivoltine in Hong Kong, occurring from March until December, with a peak from June to September.


EARLY STAGES

OVUM:

LARVA: Full-fed 75--90mm.


Final instar green form larva of Acosmeryx sericeus. Image: Mell, 1922b Final instar pre-pupation form larva of Acosmeryx sericeus. Image: Mell, 1922b Final instar larva of Acosmeryx sericeus. Photo: Mell, 1922b

PUPA:


Pupa of Acosmeryx sericeus. Image: Mell, 1922b Pupa of Acosmeryx sericeus. Image: Mell, 1922b

Larval hostplants. Actinidia and Vitis (Inoue, Kennett & Kitching, [1996] 1997).


PARASITOIDS


LOCAL DISTRIBUTION

China: Yunnan (Laojun Shan, 2579m; Hekou); Guangdong (Guangzhou; Dongguan); Hong Kong (Shek Kong); Hainan.


GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION

Nepal, northeastern India, Bangladesh, Thailand, southern China, Vietnam and Malaysia (Peninsular).


Global distribution of Acosmeryx sericeus. Map: © BMNH.

BIOGEOGRAPHICAL AFFILIATION


Return to Sphingidae of the Eastern Palaearctic species list
© A.R. Pittaway & I.J. Kitching (The Natural History Museum, London)