GB: Lesser Madder Hawkmoth
Rethera brandti brandti O. Bang-Haas, 1937, Ent. Z., Frankf. a. M. 50: 562.Type locality: Elburz [Alborz] Mountains, northern Iran.
Holarctic; western Palaearctic region. Pleistocene refuge: Monocentric -- probably Iranian or Turanoeremic refuge.
Wingspan: 42--46mm. Quite distinct, though very similar to R. afghanistana; it can be confused only with a small R. komarovi but may be distinguished by its abdominal segments being edged with grey and the entirely green fourth segment. There is practically no variation.
Found on sparsely vegetated slopes up to 2000m. Like R. komarovi, this species is widely distributed as local populations containing large numbers of individuals. Comes to light, sometimes in great numbers.
Univoltine; April to mid-May.
Unknown.
Hostplants. Not known, but probably Galium.
Unknown.
Restricted to the Alborz and Kopet Dag Mountains of northern Iran.
Extra-limital range. None.
Eastern Turkey, eastern Iraq and western Iran as R. brandti euteles.
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