HEMARIS CROATICA FAHIRA de Freina, 2004

GB: Olive Bee Hawkmoth, F: Macroglosse de Croatie, D: Olivegrüner Hummelschwärmer, RU: Shmelevidka kroatskaja

Type locality: Iran, Lorestan\Luristan Province, 25km southeast of Masur, 980m.

BIOGEOGRAPHICAL AFFILIATION

Holarctic; western Palaearctic region. Pleistocene refuge: Monocentric -- Iranian refugium.

ADULT DESCRIPTION AND VARIATION

Wingspan: 65--71mm. The smallest individual is larger than the largest individual known for H. c. croatica, both in wingspan and body size. It differs also in colour tone and wing shape. Both fore- and hindwings are noticeably broader and 'rounder' than in H. c. croatica, with the outer margin of the former being markedly convex.

ADULT BIOLOGY

Diurnal. Found on open, hot, dry meadows interspersed with patches of woodland on hillsides at 980m altitude (de Freine, 2004).

FLIGHT-TIME

So far, only observed during the first week of May at 980m altitude (de Freine, 2004).

EARLY STAGES

OVUM: Unknown, but probably as for H. c. croatica.

LARVA: Unknown, but probably as for H. c. croatica.

Major Hostplants. Unknown, but probably as for H. c. croatica.

Minor Hostplants. Unknown.

PUPA: Unknown, but probably as for H. c. croatica.

PARASITOIDS

Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION

So far, only known from a small area of Lorestan\Luristan Province, western Iran (de Freine, 2004).

Extra-limital range. None.

OTHER SUBSPECIES

South-east Europe, the southern Ukraine, the northern Middle East and Iran as H. c. croatica.