Hyloicus caligineus sinicus Rothschild & Jordan, 1903, Novit. zool. 9 (suppl.): 149. Type locality: China, [Zhejiang,] Zocé [Sheshan, 31°10'N 121°19'E].
Note. Mell (1922a) described brown specimens of S. caligineus from northern Yunnan as S. c. brunnescens, a subspecies that was confined to montane forests. Later, however, he referred specimens from northern Guangdong and southern Hunan to this subspecies (Mell, 1922b) and stated that S. c. brunnescens was intermediate ("ein Mittelglied") between the dark brown S. c. caligineus (Butler) from Japan and the paler grey S. c. sinicus (Rothschild & Jordan) from 'Zocé' (= Sheshan), Zhejiang. On 30.vi.1995, the first author captured a specimen of S. caligineus at Hangzhou (Zhejiang) that was transitional in colour between S. c. sinicus and S. c. brunnescens. In addition, there is a brown female in the IZAS from nearby Sheshan (Zhejiang) (the type locality of S. c. sinicus) that matches the description of S. c. brunnescens, while grey specimens of S. caligineus have been captured at 2250m in northern Yunnan. We therefore consider it likely that S. c. brunnescens is simply a colour form of S. c. sinicus, analogous to the brown forms that exist in the European species, S. pinastri Linnaeus. However, this matter cannot be fully resolved until the types of S. c. brunnescens have been examined.
Wingspan: 55--76mm. Similar to Sphinx caligineus caligineus, but gnathos less obviously sinuate, the lobes much shorter; valve shorter, more rounded apically; harpe with processes shorter, the dorsal one not curved dorsad apically, the ventral one much narrower; aedeagus with apical lobe much shorter even than in Sphinx pinastri, more similar to that of Sphinx oberthueri.
Common in hilly areas with a good density of pines (Pinus species).
China: iv (Ningbo); v (Tianjin; Hebei); 7.v (Xingshan); 13.v (Beijing); 21-27.vi (Beijing); 30.vi (Hangzhou; Yanyuan); vii (Shandong; Nanjing); 3-25.vii (Huili); 6-10.vii (Yongsheng); 4.viii (Xichang). South Korea: vii ([unspecified locality]).
Two generations a year, with adults flying in (April)/May/June and July-September (Yang, 1978).
Park et al. (1999) gives July for Korea.
OVUM: Oval (2.13 x 3.09mm). Very large for the size of moth.
LARVA: Full-fed 47--50mm.
Generally found about 2.0-2.5m off the ground among the needles of terminal shoots, where full-grown larvae are extremely well camouflaged if resting along a twig.
Larvae of this species produce an extraordinary amount of frass for the amount of vegetable matter they eat. Often, two or more of the frass pellets may be stuck together.
PUPA: 28--40mm. Dark mahogany brown and glossy, with even darker wing cases and thorax. Head projecting frontad, eyes slightly bulbous, with no free tongue-case as found in related members of the genus. Tongue-case flush with the legs and reaching to the wing tips. Whole pupa finely punctate. Spiracular ridges present on movable abdominal segments. Cremaster triangular to almost conical, narrow, with a double sharp point; tuberculate. Similar to that of Callambulyx tatarinovii. Formed in an almost silk-free cell in the soil. The overwintering stage.
Larval hostplants. Mainly on Pinus tabulaeformis to the west and north of Beijing (Zhu & Wang, 1997; Pittaway, pers. obs. 2003), as well as the ornamental Pinus armandii (Pittaway, pers. obs. 2003). In Guangdong, Mell (1922b) recorded S. c. brunnescens on the native pine, Pinus massoniana. Other native hostplants of S. caligineus in China are unknown but Wang (1992) listed the introduced pines Pinus elliottii and Pinus taeda for Hunan. The record on Betula (Wang, 1992) is certainly erroneous.
Unknown.
China: Hebei (Chengde); Beijing (Xiangshan; Botanical Garden); Tianjin; Shandong; Shaanxi (Yangling); Jiangsu (Nanjing); Anhui (Mt. Huang Shan); Shanghai; Zhejiang (Hangzhou; Ningbo; Sheshan); Hubei (Xingshan, 1300m); Sichuan (Leibo; Huili; Xichang; Yanyuan, 1200m); Yunnan (Yongsheng, 2250m); Hunan (Luoxiao Shan); Guangdong.
Records in the Chinese literature from southeastern Xizang/Tibet (Mutu, Namjagbarwa region, 850m) (e.g. Zhang et al., 1986, pl. 1, fig. 3) are misidentifications of Sphinx oberthueri.
South Korea: Kangwon Prov. (Seolak-san); South Cholla Prov. (Baekyang Temple).
Northeastern, eastern and southern China, South Korea, northern Thailand (Inoue et al, [1996]) and southern Vietnam (R. Brechlin, pers. comm.).
Holarctic; eastern Palaearctic region. Pleistocene refuge: Monocentric -- Yunnan refugium.
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