GB: Lesser Madder Hawkmoth
Rethera brandti euteles Jordan, 1937, Novit. zool. 40: 325.Type locality: C'urum [between Shiraz and Bushehr], Iran.
(Taxonomic note. Kernbach (1959) doubted the validity of this subspecies on the strength of two specimens from southern Iran, which were superficially similar to subsp. brandti. Examination of an extensive series in the collection of E. P. Wiltshire (deposited at the Natural History Museum, London), show that his doubts were unjustified.)
Holarctic; western Palaearctic region. Pleistocene refuge: Monocentric -- probably eastern part of the Syrian refuge.
Wingspan: 40--45mm. Generally paler and greyer than subsp. brandti and usually lacking any pink coloration in most individuals; however, some specimens are similar to subsp. brandti in coloration. As in that subspecies, there is little variation.
Does not overlap with subsp. brandti. Found in hilly steppe and desert-edge vegetation in dense but local populations at between 1500 and 2500m altitude.
Univoltine (but with a possible second brood); late March to mid-May, depending on altitude. In 2002, individuals were collected in Iran on 23 April (30 Km N. Bandar-e Abbas) and 14-15 May (Natanz, north of Esfahan). In 2005, a specimen was captured between 28 July and 12 August in South Waziristan, Pakistan, and may represent a second generation.
Unknown.
Hostplants. Unknown, but probably Galium.Unknown.
From south-east Turkey and north-east Iraq (Wiltshire, 1957) to southern Iran along the Zagros Mountains (Brandt, 1938), and thence into western Pakistan (South Waziristan). May be more widespread than indicated due to the remoteness of its habitat.
Extra-limital range. None.
Northern Iran as R. b. brandti.
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