Oxyambulyx sericeipennis tobii Inoue, 1976, Bull. Fac. domest. Sci. Otsuma Wom. Univ. 12: 173. Type locality: Japan, "Nakatsugawa, Sumoto City, Awajishima" <<Shimane, Ichibata>>.
Synonym. Oxyambulyx sericeipennis tobii Inoue, 1976.
Synonym. Ambulyx sericeipennis pirika Kishida, 2018.
[Further details on this species in Japan, as well as photos of many stages, can be found on Digital Moths of Japan.]
Wingspan: 105--117mm. Male very similar to Ambulyx sericeipennis sericeipennis but ground colour more greenish (especially in fresh Japanese specimens) although many continental moths are more yellowish-grey, dorsal V-shaped patch on thorax blackish green rather than the brownish green of Ambulyx sericeipennis sericeipennis, a blackish green lateral spot on each side of abdominal segments 6 and 7. Forewing upperside ground colour yellowish-green or yellowish-grey, with scattered brown scales, subbasal and basal costal black spots generally larger than in Ambulyx sericeipennis sericeipennis, subterminal line more arched and the line of green or yellowish-green scales along its inner edge generally fading by vein M1 whereas in Ambulyx sericeipennis sericeipennis this line extends across vein M1 even reaching the apex, the blackish-green spot in the submarginal area between veins CuA1 and CuA2 generally larger than in Ambulyx sericeipennis sericeipennis (Jiang, Kitching, Xu, Xu, Yan, Yu, Liu & Hu, 2025).
Male genitalia similar to Ambulyx sericeipennis sericeipennis but sacculus broader. Phallus much longer, posterior lobe apically sharp, dorsal margin with fewer teeth (Jiang, Kitching, Xu, Xu, Yan, Yu, Liu & Hu, 2025).
China: iv (Fujian; Yunnan); v (Sichuan; Guizhou); vi-vii (Shaanxi); vii (Qinghai; Guangxi; Jiangxi; Beijing; Hubei; Chongqing; Sichuan; Yunnan); viii (Guangdong; Xizang/Tibet); 23.ix (Hunan). Taiwan: v-vi (Nantou Hsien). North Korea: 15-29.v (North Pyongan Province); 1-12.vii (North Pyongan Province). South Korea: viii ([unstated locality]). Japan: 29.iv-26.vi (Shikoku); 30.iv-22.vi (Honshu); 4.v (Shikoku); v-vi (Tsushima; Hokkaido); 4.vi-15.vii (Hokkaido); viii (Kyushu); 15.viii (Shikoku). Russia: 27.v (Primorskiy Krai); 31.v-5.vii (Primorskiy Krai).
OVUM: Unknown.
LARVA:
Photos: Larvae of Ambulyx species from China. (A) Ambulyx moorei, Foshan, Guangdong, China; (B) Ambulyx sericeipennis sericeipennis, Hongkong, China; (C) Ambulyx ochracea, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; (D) Ambulyx kuangtungensis, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; (E) Ambulyx semiplacida montana, Pingbian County, Yunnan, China; (F) Ambulyx schauffelbergeri, Chongqing City, China; (G) Ambulyx siamensis, Mengla County, Yunnan, China; (H) Ambulyx siamensis, Mengla County, Yunnan, China; (I) Ambulyx liturata, Mt. Maoershan, Guangxi, China; (J) Ambulyx tobii, Kunming, Yunnan, China. (© Jiang, Kitching, Xu, Xu, Yan, Yu, Liu & Hu, 2025)
PUPA: Unknown.
Larval hostplants. In the southern Primorskiy Krai on Acer mandshuricum Maxim. (Zolotuhin & Yevdoshenko, 2019). It has also been reared on Acer pictum Thunb. by A. A. Voronkov (Koshkin et al, 2021). Recorded from Japan on Juglans ailanthifolia Carrière, but this may be erroneous.
Unknown.
China: Beijing (Baihua Shan; Huairou County, 1210m); Tianjin (Baxian Shan, 450m); Shaanxi (Haozhenzi village, 1350m; Qingling Shan, Taibai Shan, Foping Nature Reserve, 1800m); Qinghai (Nangqian); Gansu (Maidishan); Zhejiang (Kuocang Mountain Nature Reserve); Hubei (Luotian 1729m; Yingshan County); Sichuan (Wolong National Nature Reserve, 1300m; Lingyanshan, Dujiangyan City, 2130m); Chongqing (Yintiaoling Nature Reserve, Wuxi County, 1270m); Yunnan (5km N Hutiao Xia, 2200m; Kunming; Yanjin County, 1107m; Xiajinchang Township, Malipo County); Xizang/Tibet (Motuo National Park, near Indian border); Guizhou (Leigongshan, Suiyang County, 1340m; Yanhe County); Hunan (Wugaishan Ski Resort; Fushoushan, Yueyang, 1097m); Jiangxi (Wuyi Shan, Xipaihe village, 1500m); Fujian (Daimao Shan, 60km NW Longyan, 1300m); Guangdong (Nanling, Shaoguan, 1100m); Guangxi (Dayao Shan, Jinxiu, 1200m).
Taiwan: Nantou Hsien (3km SW Tsuifeng, 2100m).
North Korea: North Pyongan Province (Chonma County, Chonma-san).
South Korea: Kyonggi Province (Yongjong-do); Kangwon Province (Seolak-san; Chuncheon); North Cholla Province (Daedun-san; Jiri-san); South Cholla Province (Baekyang Temple); South Kyongsang Province (Baekun-san).
Japan: Hokkaido (Jozankei; Nanaemachi; Osima; Shibinai; Sapporo, 800m; Kamikawa-cho); Honshu (Ichibata; Shirikubiyama; Takada City; Funagatayama); Shikoku (Nagaomachi; Shioemachi; Takamatsu; Yusuhara); Kyushu (Kitakyushu City); Tsushima (Izumi; Shirikubiyama).
Russia: Khabarovskiy Krai (Bikin area); Primorskiy Krai (Khasan area (Gusevskiy mine; Zanadvorovka; Andreevka); Oktyabrskiy area (Sinel'nikovo-1); Kaimanovka; Vladivostok area (Shamora Pass); Vityaz Bay; Ryazanovka; 3km SW Barabash; Chernigovsky area). This species is a very recent (2011) colonist of this region (Koshkin & Bezborodov, 2013; Koshkin et al, 2015 & 2021).
From Japan (Komatsu & Inoko, 2000), Russian Far East (Koshkin & Bezborodov, 2013; Koshkin et al, 2015 & 2021) and North Korea down through eastern China to Bhutan, Sikkim (Khan & Raina, 2017), Xizang/Tibet, Yunnan, Vietnam (Le & Vu, 2024) and Taiwan.
Map: Distribution of species of the Ambulyx schauffelbergeri- and Ambulyx kuangtungensis-groups: Ambulyx latifascia (black triangles); Ambulyx kuangtungensis (blue dotted line); Ambulyx schauffelbergeri (red dotted line); Ambulyx sericeipennis sericeipennis (green dotted line); Ambulyx sericeipennis joiceyi (purple triangles); Ambulyx sericeipennis javanica (orange triangles); Ambulyx sericeipennis luzoni (green triangles); Ambulyx sericeipennis palawanica (red triangles); and Ambulyx tobii (yellow patch). (© Jiang, Kitching, Xu, Xu, Yan, Yu, Liu & Hu, 2025).
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