GB: Barbary Spurge Hawkmoth, F: Sphinx du Tithymale
Hyles sammuti Eitschberger, Danner & Surholt, 1998, Herbipoliana 4(1): 253.Type locality: Rabat, Malta.
(Taxonomic note. Studies of both larvae and adults demonstrate that H. sammuti is best regarded as a subspecies of H. tithymali, a view also supported by Meerman (pers. comm.). The larva closely resembles that of H. t. mauretanica, and comparison of a number of reared adults with a large number of H. t. mauretanica indicate that H. t. sammuti has interbred to some extent with vagrant individuals of H. euphorbiae. This conclusion is supported by the mtDNA work of Hundsdoerfer et al. (2005b).
Holarctic; western Palaearctic region. Pleistocene refuge: Monocentric -- Malta (Mediterranean refuge).
Wingspan: 63--75mm. Similar in coloration and pattern to some individuals of H. t. mauretanica from Morocco.
An inhabitant of dry, stony slopes with a good growth of Euphorbia.
February to October in a number of broods. This may be reduced to a single autumn generation in years of low rainfall, but in most years this species is bivoltine, with moths on the wing in April-May and September-October (Valletta, 1973).
OVUM: Similar to that of subsp. tithymali, i.e. small, very hard and blue-green in colour. Laid in large clusters on the growing tips of the hostplant.
LARVA: Full fed: 70--80mm. The larva looks very similar to that of H. t. mauretanica in all its stages; however, in behaviour it is very similar to that of H. t. tithymali.
Occurs from March to December in years of good rainfall, but generally commonest from September to December.
Hostplant. Euphorbia spinosa, E. pinea and E. dendroides (Valletta, 1973).
PUPA: Indistinguishable from subsp. tithymali, but smaller. Overwinters and/or passes the summer as a pupa, often for several seasons.
Valletta (1973) lists Peltocarus dentatus.
Confined to the main island of Malta; not recorded from Gozo.
The populations on Sicily and in southern Italy are closely related to this subspecies, but their exact taxonomic position has yet to be ascertained.
Extra-limital range. None.
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