Smerinthus planus Walker, 1856, List Specimens lepid. Insects Colln. Br. Mus. 8: 254. Type locality: North China.
Note. Mell (1922a) described S. planus juennanus from Yunnan. We were unable to examine any Yunnanese material. However, specimens from Sichuan in the CMNH, IZAS and collection of J.-M. Cadiou, as well as those illustrated as S. p. juennanus by Chu & Wang (1980), are generally greyer than S. p. planus, with a larger black surround to the hindwing eyespots and a weaker forewing pattern in many. Furthermore, Wang (1988) reported both S. p. planus and S. p. juennanus from the Namjagbarwa region of Xizang/Tibet, but recorded the former from Mutu at 850m and the latter from Nyingchi at 3050m. However, it is presently unclear whether this taxon is a valid subspecies or is simply a montane form (Kitching & Cadiou, 2000). The latter may well prove correct because bred pupae of S. p. planus from Xi'an, Shaanxi, that were chilled produced greyish adults similar to S. p. juennanus, whereas pupae exposed to dry heat produced typical brownish S. p. planus (A.R. Pittaway, pers. obs.).
Wingspan: 66--106mm. Like a large version of S. ocellata. Spring brood individuals are the smallest, those which emerge in September or even October are much larger. Developing pupae exposed to cool conditions produce greyer adults than those kept drier and warmer. Imagines from the latter tend to be much paler and browner.
A species of agricultural areas and deciduous woodland along valley bottoms in the Russian Far East (Izerskiy, 1999b). He states that females are active from 22.40h until 02.20h, males from 23.20h until 04.10h.
Emergence occurs just after dark and females call for a short period around midnight. Pairing lasts a relatively short time, sometimes only a few hours, and the pair often part before morning during warm weather. Oviposition may commence the same night immediately after pairing. In England, wild males of S. o. ocellata are readily attracted to calling females of S. p. planus, and the resultant eggs produce viable larvae. However, adult female hybrids rarely emerge and the pupae generally die after 2-3 years. Most male hybrids do eclose but fail to respond to calling females of S. p. planus. In the reverse cross (planus x ocellata), the resultant pupae diapause and emerge normally.
The defensive 'glaring eye' posture of S. p. planus is more exaggerated than in S. ocellata. S. planus also drops to the ground more readily on being disturbed.
China: 24.iv (Yili area); v-16.vii (Shandong); 15-23.vi (Sichuan); vi-vii (Heilongjiang; Liaoning); vii (Hailin; Jiangxi); 20.vii (Shaanxi); ix (Shaanxi). Mongolia: 30.vii (Khalkhin-Gol). North Korea: vii (Hamhung; Jueul); viii (Wonsan). South Korea: 5.vi [(unstated locality)]; viii (Ori-Dong). Japan: 14.v-29.vi (Honshu); 18.vi-13.viii (Hokkaido). Russia: 8-27.vi (Amurskaya); 8-29.vi (Primorskiy Kray); vi-vii (Amurskaya); 4-21.vii (Khabarovsk Kray); 4-21.vii (Khabarovsk Kray); 6-28.vii (Primorskiy Kray); 15-16.vii (Transbaikalia); vii-viii (Primorskiy Kray); 15.viii (Khabarovsk Kray).
Depending on latitude and weather, there is one to four generations a year, with adults flying between April and September. Two generations are usual in Beijing and Ningxia, three in southern Shaanxi, and four in Jiangsu and Jiangxi (Chu et al., 1979).
Izerskiy (1999b) gives late May until early August for the Russian Far East.
Park et al. (1999) give early May until late July as the flight period in Korea, although specimens have been found in August.
OVUM: Pale green, becoming greyish white prior to hatching; oval (1.6 x 1.9mm), very shiny and smooth. Laid singly or in pairs beneath leaves not more than 2m above the ground.
LARVA: Full-fed 70--90mm. Dimorphic: bluish green or apple-green. On emergence, the young larva is about 6mm long, pale whitish green, with a reddish-black horn. It clings tightly with all legs to a vein on the underside of a leaf. In the second instar, pale lateral stripes appear, the head becomes dorsally pointed and, when not feeding, it rests in a typical sphinx-like posture, holding on with the last three pairs of prolegs only. When so positioned beneath a leaf, the larva is very difficult to detect due to its excellent counter-shading.
The fully-grown larva resembles that of S. ocellata in both behaviour and morphology; however, the body tubercles are more coarse, the white lateral stripes more bold and the horn less blue.
As with S. ocellata, many larvae in a colony may perish in any one year due to parasitoids, such as Microplitis ocellatae Bouché.
PUPA: 35--48mm. Indistinguishable from that of S. ocellata.
Larval hostplants. Recorded in China on various species of Malus, Populus, Prunus and Salix (Oberthür, 1886; Mell, 1922b; Chu et al., 1979; Chu & Wang, 1980; Xiao, 1992; Wang, 1992; Wei et al. 1999). A record on Ulmus (Wang, 1988) is probably erroneous.
In Beijing mainly on weeping willows, e.g. S. babylonica.
Izerskiy (1999b) gives Populus maximowiczii, P. koreana and various species of Salix for the Russian Far East.
Recorded in Korea on Salix koreensis, Populus maximowiczii, Rosa hybrida, Prunus mume, P. serrulata var. spontanea and Malus pumila (Park et al., 1999).
Ichneumonidae: Callajoppa exaltatoria (Panzer), Callajoppa lutoria (Linnaeus), Netelia cephalotes Holm.; Braconidae: Aleiodes praetor (Reinhard), Cotesia planus (Walker), Cotesia suzumei (Watanabe), Microplitis ocellatae Bouché; Tachinidae: Winthemia angusta Shima, Chao & Zhang, Exorista sorbillans (Wiedemann).
China: Xinjiang (Yili area); Nei Mongol (Great Khingan Mountains, Zalantun/Butha Qi); Heilongjiang (Harbin); Jilin (Changbai Shan); Liaoning (Liaoyang); Hebei (Tianjin); Beijing (Haidian); Shandong (Jinan; Weihai); Shanxi (Qixian; Taiyuan; Taigu); Shaanxi (Louguantai Forest Park; Xunyang, 1380m); Ningxia; Qinghai; Gansu; Henan; Jiangsu (Nanjing); Anhui; Shanghai; Zhejiang (Tianmu Shan); Hubei (Enshi; Hefeng; Xuan'en); Sichuan (Kangding, 2540m; Pengshui; Wulong near Fuling; Emei Shan, 1000m); Yunnan (Kunming); Xizang/Tibet (Mutu, Namjagbarwa region, 850m; Nyingchi, Namjagbarwa region, 3050m); Guizhou (Jiangkou; Leishan); Hunan (Dayong; Shangzhi; Zhangjajie; Heng Shan); Jiangxi; Fujian; Guangdong (Guangzhou); Hainan.
Mongolia: Khalkhin-Gol; Prikhingan'e.
North Korea: Kangwon Prov. (Keumgang-san); South Hamgyong Prov. (Hamhung; Wonsan; Seokwang Temple); North Hamgyong Prov. (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 (Kushiro; Tokachi; nr Sapporo; Rishiri Island); Honshu (Nashimoto; Tokyo; Yokohama; Yamagata); Shikoku; Kyushu.
Russia: Transbaikalia (Lake Zun-Torei; Mt. Maly Bator); Amurskaya (Belogorsk); Yevreyskaya (Pompeyevka); Khabarovsk Kray (Khabarovsk; Slavyanka); Primorskiy Kray (Andreevka; Barabash; Jankowski Peninsula; Lesogor'e; Narva; Vladivostok; Primorskiy; Bukhta; Khasan; Vityaz Bay; Kedrovaya Pad nature reserve); Kurile Islands; Sakhalin Island.
Previously recorded from Japan, the Korean Peninsula, Russian Far East and Transbaikalia (Chistyakov, 1988), and throughout the eastern half of China, as far west as Shaanxi and as far south as Guangdong and Yunnan. The recent records near the China-Kazakhstan border (Yili area) (SACS) extend considerably the western limits of the known distribution of this eastern Palaearctic taxon. This is probably the result of extensive planting of Populus and Salix trees across northern China, forming a habitable corridor that S. p. planus has exploited. Callambulyx t. tatarinovii (q.v.) has reached the same area by similar means.
Holarctic; eastern Palaearctic region. Pleistocene refuge: Polycentric -- Manchurian, Japanese, Sinopacific, Sinotibetan and Yunnan refugia.
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