Macroglossa aquila Boisduval, [1875], in: Boisduval & Guenée, Hist. nat. Insectes (Spec. gén. Lépid. Hétérocères) 1: 340. Type locality: [Bangladesh,] Silhet [Sylhet]; Cochinchina [Vietnam].
Synonym. Macroglossa interrupta Butler, 1875.
Wingspan: 49--54mm. Immediately distinguishable from all other species of Macroglossum by the costal margin of hindwing dilated into a projecting dark rounded lobe in proximal half (see Eitschberger, 2010). Forewing upperside with antemedian lines placed more basally than in other species of Macroglossum.
In the male genitalia, uncus gradually narrowed, apically obtuse, slightly downcurved. Gnathos rounded apically. Valve with stridulatory scales. Harpe short, stout, upperside excavated, edges dentate, looking like a brush in lateral view. Phallus with a patch of teeth near the base of the apical process, which is slender, denticulate basally, along its proximal edge and at the apex, which is obtuse.
May, July, August and early November in northern Thailand (Eitschberger, 2010).
OVUM: Unknown.
LARVA: Unknown.
PUPA: Unknown.
Larval hostplants. Unknown.
Unknown.
China: Yunnan (Xishuangbanna, Mengla); ?Guangdong; ?Guangxi (Guilin; Longsheng); ?Hainan (Wanning).
In southern China, apart from the confirmed record from Xishuangbanna, all other records appear to be misidentifications of faded, poorly marked or damaged specimens of M. pyrrhosticta, M. neotroglodytus or M. variegatum (ZhuoHeng Jiang, pers. comm. 2024).
Northeastern India (including Sikkim), Bangladesh, Thailand (Jeenthong, Teawkul & Jaitrong, 2021), Laos (Hinboun District), southern China, Vietnam, Malaysia (Peninsular, Sarawak), Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi), Brunei, Philippines (Luzon, Palawan) -- [see Eitschberger, 2010 for details].
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