Macroglossa triopus Westwood, 1847, Cabinet oriental Ent.: [14], pl. 6, fig. 4. Type locality: [India,] Assam.
Wingspan: 64--78mm.
A diurnal species with a fast but bumbling flight -- has difficulty pinpointing flowers. Attracted to the flowers of Agapanthus africanus in Hong Kong. Will fly during damp, overcast conditions and in hot, sunny weather, generally during the the late morning and early afternoon (R. Kendrick, pers. comm., 2000). The resting position is the same as for those of the genus Macroglossum (Bell & Scott, 1937).
China: vi (Guangdong; Hong Kong); ix (Hong Kong).
OVUM: Broadly ovoid; surface smooth and shiny; colour pale grass-green; size larger than those of Macroglossum and Cephonodes (Bell & Scott, 1937).
LARVA: Full-fed 70mm, width 11mm, horn 14mm. According to Bell & Scott (1937), in the final instar head round, surface smooth. Body tapering sharply frontad from segment 5; horn long, stout, laterally compressed, ending in a sharp point, basal half gently upcurved, distal half gently down-curved. Surface of body dull and smooth except for four small tubercles on the front half of each of segments 6 to 11, on the dorso-lateral stripe, those on 7 and 8 larger than the rest. Horn with tubercles on dorsal and ventral surface.
In colour, head green, with a white stripe separating face from cheek. Body pale green, the divisions between the secondary rings white. There is an indistinct dark green dorsal stripe and a white dorso-lateral stripe, the latter clearly defined on 2 to 4, faint on 5 to 11, and with white tubercles on 6 to 11, edged above with dark green on these segments. There are bluish-white oblique lateral stripes, which are clearest on 7 to 9. Horn bluish-green with a small, triangular, bluish latero-basal patch, the tubercles green. True legs pale flesh-colour, outer faces red; shanks of prolegs dull terracotta. Spiracles pure white with a broad transverse brick-red band across the middle of all except those on segments 11 and 12, which are immaculate white and twice as large as the rest (Bell & Scott, 1937).
PUPA: 42--52mm, breadth 11--14mm. Very like that of Cizara sculpta in shape. In colour, tongue greyish-green, darker at tip; thorax and wing-case greyish-green; two pale chestnut spots on segment 2. Legs dark chestnut barred with pale orange, abdomen pale ochreous-brown above, reddish-brown with short longitudinal chestnut lines below; bevels of free abdominal segments dark chestnut. There are broad blackish patches and short black lines between the spiracles of segments 3 to 10. Tongue-case projecting slightly beyond the frons; antenna equal to fore leg, coxal piece absent or rudimentary. Surface smooth and shiny. Cremaster conical, tapering gently to a short, widely bifid tip (Bell & Scott, 1937).
Larval hostplants. Adina globiflora (Rubiaceae) in India (Bell & Scott, 1937).
Unknown.
China: Guangdong (Longtou Shan); Hong Kong; Guangxi (Longmen).
Nepal, northeastern India, southern China, and Thailand.
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