Sphinx caligineus brunnescens Mell, 1922, Dt. ent. Z. 1922: 113. Type locality: China, north Yunnan, montane forest.
Note. There is still some confusion regarding this taxon. Mell (1922a) described brown specimens of what he took to be Hyloicus caligineus from northern Yunnan as Hyloicus caligineus brunnescens, a subspecies that he claimed was confined to montane forests. Later, however, he also referred specimens from northern Guangdong and southern Hunan to this subspecies (Mell, 1922b) and stated that Hyloicus caligineus brunnescens was intermediate ('ein Mittelglied') between the dark brown Hyloicus caligineus caligineus Butler, 1877 from Japan and the paler grey Hyloicus caligineus sinicus Rothschild & Jordan from 'Zocé' (= Sheshan), Zhejiang. On 30.vi.1995, the first author captured a specimen of Hyloicus caligineus at Hangzhou (Zhejiang) that was transitional in colour between Hyloicus caligineus sinicus and Hyloicus caligineus brunnescens. In addition, there is a brown female in the IZAS from nearby Sheshan (Zhejiang) (the type locality of Hyloicus caligineus sinicus) that matches the description of Hyloicus caligineus brunnescens, while grey specimens of what appear to be Hyloicus caligineus have been captured at 2250m in northern Yunnan (Pittaway & Kitching, 2000). We therefore initially considered it likely that Hyloicus caligineus brunnescens was simply a colour form of Hyloicus caligineus sinicus, analogous to the brown forms that exist in the European species, Hyloicus pinastri (Linnaeus) (Pittaway & Kitching, 2000).
However, with the description of Hyloicus yunnana (Brechlin, 2015) (from Yunnan), and Hyloicus centrovietnama (Brechlin, 2015) (from Vietnam), the situation with regard to the nomenclature and distribution of this subspecies, Hyloicus yunnana, Hyloicus centrovietnama and Hyloicus caligineus sinicus has become even more confusing. The grey specimens of Hyloicus caligineus mentioned above, which were captured at 2250m in northern Yunnan, have been confirmed as being Hyloicus yunnana. In fact, all individuals of Hyloicus caligineus sinicus from Yunnan and Sichuan mentioned in Pittaway & Kitching (2000) are Hyloicus yunnana. As no individuals of Hyloicus caligineus have ever been confirmed from Yunnan and Sichuan, the brown individuals that Mell (1922a) described from northern Yunnan could well be the brown form of Hyloicus yunnana. Conversely, using DNA barcodes, the Hyloicus caligineus brunnescens-like individuals recorded from NE Laos have been confirmed as being Hyloicus centrovietnama, a species which extends northwards into southern China.
No type material of Hyloicus caligineus brunnescens could be found in CMNH or MNHU; specimens labelled 'type' in CMNH or 'paratype' in MNHU do not have appropriate data. They appear to be the specimens referred to by Mell, 1922, Beitr. Fauna Sinica 2 (Biol. Syst. südchin. Sphingiden): 52-57, that he reared in Guangdong and Hunan Provinces. However, in the section titled "Resting place" Mell, 1922, Beitr. Fauna Sinica 2 (Biol. Syst. südchin. Sphingiden): 56, did refer to a wild-caught female found on a dry path in the foothills of Yunnan that may be interpretable as a type, but its present whereabouts remains unknown. Danner, Eitschberger & Surholt, 1998, Herbipoliana 4(1): 58, erronously gave the type-locality as 'Bergwälder im Norden der provinz Kuangtung'. The above confusion cannot be fully resolved until the types of Hyloicus caligineus brunnescens have been examined. Depending on what it turns out to be, this name will probably replace either Hyloicus yunnana or Hyloicus centrovietnama.
China: ?2.vi (Zhejiang); ?15.vii (Hunan); ?vii-ix (Yunnan).
OVUM: Unknown.
LARVA: Unknown. Previous descriptions and photos have turned out to be of Hyloicus centrovietnama.
PUPA: Unknown. Previous descriptions and photos have turned out to be of Hyloicus centrovietnama.
Larval hostplants. Unknown. Previously listed hosts have turned out to be those of Hyloicus centrovietnama.
Unknown.
China: ?Zhejiang (Sheshan); ?Sichuan (Yibin); ?Yunnan (north; Songzishanding, Changning County, 2500m); ?Hunan (Nan Ling Shan, 750m).
Specimens of Hyloicus caligineus brunnescens recorded from Sichuan and Yunnan may be the brown form of Hyloicus yunnana (Brechlin, 2015), but this requires clarification.
Uncertain. See Taxonomic notes above.
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