SMERINTHULUS PERVERSA PALLIDUS Mell, 1922 -- Lichenous hawkmoth

Female Smerinthulus perversa pallidus, Wuyishan, Fujian, China. Photo: © Zhuo-Heng Jiang. Male Smerinthulus perversa pallidus, Wuzhishan, Hainan, China. Photo: © Zhuo-Heng Jiang. Male Smerinthulus perversa pallidus. Photo: © NHMUK.

TAXONOMY

Smerinthulus pallidus Mell, 1922, Dt. ent. Z. 1922: 116. Type locality: China, north Kuangtung [Guangdong], montane forest.

Note. Smerinthulus perversa pallidus is so far only known from Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian and Hunan provinces of mainland China, and the island of Hainan. Its validity will depend on future collections in intervening areas between the populations of Yunnan (nominotypical subspecies) and those of Guangxi (subsp. pallidus). It is not known if there is any contact or if the populations are totally isolated (Haxaire, Melichar, Kitching & Brechlin, 2022).


ADULT DESCRIPTION AND VARIATION

Overall, Smerinthulus perversa pallidus seems to have shorter, less slender, less contrasted and paler forewings (hence the name given by Rudolf Mell). In the male genitalia, the two lobes of the uncus are somewhat more lanceolate, the apex of the gnathos is more prominent (although variable in shape), and the apical claw of the valve is shorter, wider, and strongly curved than in the nominotypical subspecies (Haxaire, Melichar, Kitching & Brechlin, 2022).


ADULT BIOLOGY

Unknown, except that it frequents montane forest.


FLIGHT-TIME

China: v (Hunan); ix (Fujian); x (Guangdong).


EARLY STAGES

OVUM: Not recorded.

LARVA:


Full-grown larva of Smerinthulus perversa pallidus. Image: Mell, 1922b Full-grown larva of Smerinthulus perversa pallidus. Photo: Mell, 1922b

PUPA: Not recorded.


Pupa of Smerinthulus perversa pallidus. Image: Mell, 1922b Pupa of Smerinthulus perversa pallidus. Image: Mell, 1922b

Larval hostplants. Not recorded.


PARASITOIDS

Unknown.


LOCAL DISTRIBUTION

China: Hunan (Yiyang); Fujian (Ningde; Wuyishan); Guangxi; Guangdong (Shaoguan); Hainan (Wuzhishan).


GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION

Endemic to southern China.


Global distribution of Smerinthulus perversa pallidus. Map: © NHMUK.

BIOGEOGRAPHICAL AFFILIATION


Return to Sphingidae of the Eastern Palaearctic species list
© A. R. Pittaway & I. J. Kitching (Natural History Museum, London)