MACROGLOSSUM AQUILA Boisduval, [1875]

Female Macroglossum aquila. Photo: © NHMUK Male Macroglossum aquila. Photo: © NHMUK

TAXONOMY

Macroglossa aquila Boisduval, [1875], in: Boisduval & Guenée, Hist. nat. Insectes (Spec. gén. Lépid. Hétérocères) 1: 340. Type locality: [Bangladesh,] Silhet [Sylhet]; Cochinchina [Vietnam].

Synonym. Macroglossa interrupta Butler, 1875.


ADULT DESCRIPTION AND VARIATION

Wingspan: 49--54mm. Immediately distinguishable from all other species of Macroglossum by the costal margin of hindwing dilated into a projecting dark rounded lobe in proximal half (see Eitschberger, 2010). Forewing upperside with antemedian lines placed more basally than in other species of Macroglossum.

In the male genitalia, uncus gradually narrowed, apically obtuse, slightly downcurved. Gnathos rounded apically. Valve with stridulatory scales. Harpe short, stout, upperside excavated, edges dentate, looking like a brush in lateral view. Aedeagus with a patch of teeth near the base of the apical process, which is slender, denticulate basally, along its proximal edge and at the apex, which is obtuse.


Mudpuddling adult Macroglossum aquila showing the projecting dark costal lobe on the hindwing, Bintulu Div., Sarawak, Malaysia. Photo: © Leong Tzi Ming. Mudpuddling adult Macroglossum aquila, Bintulu Div., Sarawak, Malaysia. Photo: © Leong Tzi Ming

ADULT BIOLOGY


FLIGHT-TIME

May, July, August and early November in northern Thailand (Eitschberger, 2010).


EARLY STAGES

OVUM: Unknown.

LARVA: Unknown.

PUPA: Unknown.

Larval hostplants. Unknown.


PARASITOIDS

Unknown.


LOCAL DISTRIBUTION

China: Yunnan (Xishuangbanna, Mengla); ?Guangdong; ?Guangxi (Guilin; Longsheng); ?Hainan (Wanning).

In southern China, apart from the confirmed record from Xishuangbanna, all other records appear to be misidentifications of faded, poorly marked or damaged specimens of M. pyrrhosticta, M. neotroglodytus or M. variegatum (ZhuoHeng Jiang, pers. comm. 2024).


GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION

Northeastern India (including Sikkim), Bangladesh, Thailand (Jeenthong, Teawkul & Jaitrong, 2021), Laos (Hinboun District), southern China, Vietnam, Malaysia (Peninsular, Sarawak), Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi), Brunei, Philippines (Luzon, Palawan) -- [see Eitschberger, 2010 for details].


Global distribution of Macroglossum aquila. Map: © NHMUK.

BIOGEOGRAPHICAL AFFILIATION



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© A. R. Pittaway & I. J. Kitching (Natural History Museum, London)