DEILEPHILA ASKOLDENSIS (Oberthür, 1879)

Female Deilephila askoldensis. Photo: © BMNH Male Deilephila askoldensis. Photo: © BMNH

TAXONOMY

Smerinthus askoldensis Oberthür, 1879, Diagn. Lépid. Askold: 5. Type locality: [Russia, Primorskiy Kray,] Askold I[sland].


ADULT DESCRIPTION AND VARIATION

Wingspan: 51-59mm.


ADULT BIOLOGY

In the Russian Far East, a species of mixed and deciduous forests characterized by Quercus mongoliana (Izerskiy, 1999b). Females are active between 23.00h and 01.40h, males between 00.20h and 02.40h (Izerskiy, 1999b).


FLIGHT-TIME

China: v (Hebei); vii (Heilongjiang). Japan: vii-viii (Hokkaido; Honshu). Russia: 7-21.vii (Khabarovsk Kray); 1.vi-29.viii (Primorskiy Kray).

In northern China there can be up to two generations per year, with adults flying between May and August (Yang, 1978); however, in many years there is only a single generation flying in June/July.

Park et al. (1999) give mid May until late September as the flight period in Korea.


EARLY STAGES

OVUM:

LARVA:

PUPA:

Larval hostplants. Vitis amurensis in the Russian Far East (Izerskiy, 1999b), but also found on various species of Epilobium in Japan.


PARASITOIDS


LOCAL DISTRIBUTION

China: Heilongjiang (??Ertzendziandzy; Harbin; Zhaodong); Liaoning; Hebei.

North Korea: South Hamgyong Prov. (Seokwang Temple); South Pyongan Prov. (Pyongyang); North Hamgyong Prov. (Gyungsung; Charyung).

South Korea: Kyonggi Prov. (Suwon; Suri-san; Gwangleung; Soyo-san; Cheongpyong; Baekun-san; Asan Bay; Ansan; Pyungtaek); Kwangwon Prov. (Seolak-san; Yangyang; Donghae; Chuncheon); North Chungchang Prov. (Chupungryung; Minjuji-san; Songni-san); Kyongsang Prov. (Sobaek-san; Juwang-san); South Kyongsang Prov. (Jinyang); Cheju Prov. (Cheju-do; Halla-san; Seoguipo).

Japan: Hokkaido (Hakodate; Tobetsu; Sapporo); Honshu (Tokei-ji; Hakoni; Kobe; Shinano; Shizugawa; Fujimi Heights; Miyota; Yasakamura); Kyushu.

Russia: Yevreyskaya (Pompeyevka); Khabarovsk Kray (Slavyanka; Kabarovsk); Primorskiy Kray (Andreevka; Primorskiy; Ussuriysk; Narva; Askold Island).


GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION

Confined to the southern Russian Far East, northeastern China, the Korean Peninsula and northern Japan.


Global distribution of Deilephila askoldensis. Map: © BMNH.

BIOGEOGRAPHICAL AFFILIATION



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© A.R. Pittaway & I.J. Kitching (The Natural History Museum, London)