Smerinthus sperchius Ménétriés, 1857, Enumeratio Corporum Anim. Mus. imp. Acad. Sci. Petropolitanae (Ins. Lepid.) 2 (Lepid. Heterocera): 137. Type locality: Japan.
Wingspan: 88--138mm.
Widely distributed in Taiwan, from lowlands to high altitudes (Lin, 2000). In the Russian Far East, a lowland species of deciduous woodland characterized by Quercus mongolica (Izerskiy, 1999b).
China: 14.iv (Guangdong); v (Hunan); 19-30.vi (Nei Mongol; Jilin); 27.vi (Yunnan); vi (Sichuan; Guangdong); vi-vii (Zhejiang); vii (Nei Mongol; Heilongjiang; Guangdong); 12.vii (Shaanxi); viii (Fujian; Guangdong); ix (Sichuan; Shaanxi). Taiwan: iii-v (Kaohsiung Hsien; Nantou Hsien); v-vi (Nantou Hsien); vii (Nantou Hsien); ix (Hualien Hsien). North Korea: vii (Musan). Japan: 29.v-1.viii (Honshu); 15-25.vii (Hokkaido). Russia: 7.vi-19.vii (Khabarovsk Kray); 12.vii-8.viii (Primorskiy Kray).
In northern China there are two generations per year, with adults flying in April and August (Yang, 1978).
Park et al. (1999) give late May until late August as the flight period in Korea.
OVUM: Laid singly, oval, 1.8 x 1.5 mm, pale yellow, turning greenish brown with red stripes before hatching in 7-9 days; chorion not eaten (Lin, 2000).
LARVA: Full-fed 72--120mm. First instar larvae (L1) with head and body pale yellow, 5 mm in length, horn pink, about 1 mm; lasting about 4 days. Second instar larvae (L2), head and body green with many yellowish, tiny granules, head with violet protrusion, about 1 mm long, body length 18 mm, horn about 4 mm, violet red with terminal 1/4 yellow, lasting 4 days. Third instar larvae (L3), head and body green, head with red, pointed protrusion about 2 mm, body length about 26 m, horn dark green, about 5 mm, lasting 7 days. Fourth instar larvae (L4) head and body green, head with violet red protrusion, about 2 mm, body length about 28-30 mm, horn brown, 8 mm, body lateral with oblique yellow band, lasting 5 days. Fifth instar larvae (L5) head and body green, lateral with oblique white lines, head triangular, with short blackish red horn, body length 36 mm, horn 8 mm, blackish red with terminal 1/3 yellow, lasting 7 days. Last instar larvae (L6) head and body green, head triangular with pointed protrusion; face yellow whitish. First and fifth abdominal segments lateral with oblique white line, the other abdominal segments lateral with gray line; horn 12 mm. Body dorsal pink before pupation, lasting 13 days. Hatching to pupa 47 days, prepupa to pupa 8 days (Lin, 2000).
PUPA: 40--61mm. Fuscous; frontal area porrect; base of clypeus with pointed processes; abdomen glossy ventrally, dorsal surface moderately rugose, tapering anteriorly. Overwinters as pupa (Lin, 2000).
Larval hostplants. In Shanxi, China, reported from Juglans regia and Castanea (Li & Guo, 1990); however, in India this species has only been recorded from Quercus (Bell & Scott, 1937).
On Quercus glauca in Taiwan (Lin, 2000).
Recorded in Primorskiy Kray, Russia, on Juglans mandschurica (Derzhavets, 1984) and Quercus mongolica (Izerskiy, 1999b). The latter also from Amurskaya (Streltzov, Osipov & Malikova, 2003).
In Japan, recorded from Castanea crenata, Lithocarpus edulis, Quercus acutissima, Q. glauca and Q. myrsinaefolia.
Recorded in Korea on Quercus acuta, Q. salicina, Q. acutissima, Q. serrata and Castanea crenata (Park et al., 1999).
Ichneumonidae: Amblyjoppa cognatoria (Smith). Tachinidae: Exorista sorbillans (Wiedemann).
China: Nei Mongol (Chifeng/Ulanhad, Daguangdingzishan, 2061m; Hulunbuir Region, Sanhaodian); Heilongjiang (Zhaodong); Jilin (Jiaohe, Lafa Shan); Hebei; Beijing; Shanxi (Taigu; Jiexiu; Wenshui; Xiaxian); Shaanxi (Huangling; Taibai Shan, 3000m; Xunyang, 1380m); Henan; Anhui (Mt. Huang Shan); Zhejiang (Tianmu Shan); Sichuan (Baoxing; ??Mt Pehlinling, 6000'); Yunnan (Kunming; Pingbian Co., Dawei Shan Nature Reserve, 2000m); Hunan; Fujian (Guangze, 1200m; Longqi Shan); Guangdong (Longtou Shan; Nanling National Nature Reserve, 1100m).
Taiwan: Hualien Hsien (Taroko National Park); Nantou Hsien (Puli; Fushih spa, 1200m; Chunyang; Nansanchi; Renluen, 1400m); Kaohsiung Hsien (Shanping, 640m); Taipei Hsien (Fushan); Ilan Hsien (Fushan Botanical Garden, 700m).
North Korea: Kangwon Prov. (Keumgang-san); South Hamgyong Prov. (Seokwang Temple); North Hamgyong Prov. (Musan, 1200m; Jueul).
South Korea: Widespread in Seoul; Kyonggi Prov.; Kangwon Prov.; North Chungchong Prov.; South Chungchong Prov.; North Cholla Prov.; South Cholla Prov.; North Kyongsang Prov.; South Kyongsang Prov.; Cheju Prov.
Japan: Hokkaido; Honshu (Tokyo; Asamayama; Mukoyama; Nikko; Yokohama; Kobe; Chiba; Nashimoto; Kumanotaira; Mikaboyama, 750m; Yunotaira Spa; Bushi; Mitsumine); Shikoku; Kyushu (Nagasaki); Tsushima (Izuhara); Tanegashima; Ryukyu Archipelago (Okinawa).
Russia: Amurskaya (Blagoveshchensk; Uril area); Yevreyskaya (Bastak); Khabarovsk Kray (Bolshekhekhtsyrskii Nature Reserve, Khabarovsk suburbs); Primorskiy Kray (Andreevka; Khasan; Ussuriysk; nr. Vladivostok; Narva; Kedrovaya Pad Nature Reserve; Vityaz Bay; near Kalinovka; near Zanadvorovka); Kurile Islands (Kunashir Island); Sakhalin Island.
From northern Pakistan (Murree), northern India, Nepal, southwestern, central and eastern China to the southern Russian Far East, North Korea, South Korea and Japan. Also south to continental Thailand, Laos and northern Vietnam.
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