SPHINX MORIO MORIO (Rothschild & Jordan, 1903)

TAXONOMY

Hyloicus morio Rothschild & Jordan, 1903, Novit. zool. 9 (suppl.): 147. Type locality: Japan.

Note. S. morio is now recognized as a species distinct from S. pinastri, with three subspecies.

ADULT DESCRIPTION AND VARIATION

ADULT BIOLOGY

Associated with montane forests of Larix kaempferi, where it appears to fly at daybreak (Owada & Kogi, 1992). Attracted to light-traps.

FLIGHT-TIME

Japan: 19.v-26.viii (Honshu).

EARLY STAGES

OVUM:

LARVA:

PUPA:

Larval hostplants. Larix kaempferi (Funakoshi, 1986).

PARASITOIDS

LOCAL DISTRIBUTION

Japan: Honshu (central and northeastern areas only (Owada & Kogi, 1992), including Tateshina; Kamikochi; Kisojihara, 1200m; Kisojima, 1200m; Mount Fuji, 2370m; Jizo-toge Pass; Doai-guchi; Nikko; Inawashiro; Onikobe; Takayama; Norikura Kogen, 1500m; Tobira Spa; Yumata)).

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION

Endemic to Honshu, Japan. Records from elsewhere are the result of misidentifications.

S. morio morio inhabits only central and northern Honshu, Japan (Owada & Kogi, 1992); subsp. inouei (Owada & Kogi, 1992) inhabits only northern Hokkaido, Japan (Owada & Kogi, 1992); subsp. arestus (Jordan, 1931) occurs from Korea, north-eastern China and the Russian Far East across southern Siberia and Mongolia to the Altai (Owada & Kogi, 1992).

BIOGEOGRAPHICAL AFFILIATION