Sphinx boisduvalii Bugnion, 1839, Ann. Soc. ent. Fr. 1839: 113. Type locality: [Greece,] Île de Candie [Crete].
Wingspan: 84--110mm. Not very variable. Immediately distinguished from T. alecto by its dark brown forewing and blackish hindwing, but very similar to T. clotho.
Frequents edges of woodland and cultivated areas where species of Vitaceae grow.
Very little is known about the behaviour of this species except that it is strongly attracted to light and flowers.
China: 13.vi (Yunnan); vii (Hong Kong); 13.viii (Hong Kong). Taiwan: v (Kaohsiung Hsien; Nantou Hsien); 10-14.vii (Pingtung Hsien); 15.ix (Pingtung Hsien).
OVUM: Pale green, oval (2mm), shiny and smooth. Large for the genus.
LARVA: Very like that of T. alecto.
PUPA: Very like that of T. alecto.
Larval hostplants. Not known for China, but Vitaceae elsewhere, e.g. Vitis and Parthenocissus.
Unknown.
China: Yunnan (nr. Yingjiang, Xima, 2080m); Tibet/Xizang (Mutu, 850m); Hong Kong.
Taiwan: Pingtung Hsien (Kenting); Kaohsiung Hsien (Shanping, 640m); Nantou Hsien (Puli).
Essentially a tropical species with occasional vagrants to the north and to 900m altitude in the Himalaya.
From south-eastern Iran eastwards across tropical India to Sri Lanka, and on through Thailand, southern China, Vietnam to Taiwan and south to Indonesia (Kalimantan and Lombok).
A very rare vagrant west to Turkey and Greece, but no individuals have been recorded from Europe in recent years. (As T. boisduvalii and T. alecto have both shared the name cretica, it may be possible that 'records' of this species from Europe are due to misunderstanding.)
Palaeotropical; Oriental region.
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