Sphingidae of the Western Palaearctic
(including Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, western Siberia and western Central Asia)
by A.R. Pittaway
Systematic List
FAMILY Sphingidae Latreille, [1802]
SUBFAMILY Smerinthinae Grote & Robinson, 1865
TRIBE Smerinthini Grote & Robinson, 1865
GENUS Laothoe Fabricius, 1807
GENUS Smerinthus Latreille, [1802]
GENUS Marumba Moore, [1882]
GENUS Mimas Hübner, [1819]
GENUS Callambulyx Rothschild & Jordan, 1903
TRIBE Sphingulini Rothschild & Jordan, 1903
GENUS Dolbina Staudinger, 1887
GENUS Akbesia Rothschild & Jordan, 1903
SUBFAMILY Sphinginae Latreille, [1802]
TRIBE Sphingini Latreille, [1802]
GENUS Sphinx Linnaeus, 1758
GENUS Hyloicus Hübner, [1819]
GENUS Agrius Hübner, [1819]
GENUS Acherontia [Laspeyres], 1809
TRIBE Hemarini Tutt, 1902
GENUS Hemaris Dalman, 1816
- Hemaris rubra Hampson, [1893] -- Kashmir Bee hawkmoth
- Hemaris dentata (Staudinger, 1887) -- Anatolian Bee hawkmoth
- Hemaris ducalis (Staudinger, 1887) -- Pamir Bee hawkmoth
- Hemaris fuciformis fuciformis (Linnaeus, 1758) -- Broad-bordered Bee hawkmoth
- Hemaris fuciformis jordani (Clark, 1927) -- Broad-bordered Bee hawkmoth
- Hemaris syra (Daniel, 1939) -- Syrian Bee hawkmoth
- Hemaris croatica croatica (Esper, 1800) -- Olive Bee hawkmoth
- Hemaris croatica fahira de Freina, 2004 -- Olive Bee hawkmoth
- Hemaris tityus (Linnaeus, 1758) -- Narrow-bordered Bee hawkmoth
- Hemaris aksana (Le Cerf, 1923) -- Atlas Bee hawkmoth
- Hemaris galunae Eitschberger, Müller & Kravchenko, 2005 -- Levant Bee hawkmoth
- Hemaris alaiana (Rothschild & Jordan, 1903) -- Alai Bee hawkmoth
- Hemaris saundersii (Walker, 1856) -- Saunders' Bee hawkmoth
GENUS Rethera Rothschild & Jordan, 1903
GENUS Daphnis Hübner, [1819]
GENUS Clarina Tutt, 1903
GENUS Acosmeryx Boisduval, [1875]
GENUS Hyles Hübner [1819]
- Hyles euphorbiae euphorbiae (Linnaeus, 1758) -- Spurge hawkmoth
- Hyles euphorbiae conspicua (Rothschild & Jordan, 1903) -- Spurge hawkmoth
- Hyles robertsi (Butler, 1880) -- Persian Spurge hawkmoth
- Hyles tithymali tithymali (Boisduval, 1834) -- Barbary Spurge hawkmoth
- Hyles tithymali mauretanica (Staudinger, 1871) -- Barbary Spurge hawkmoth
- Hyles tithymali deserticola (Staudinger, 1901) -- Barbary Spurge hawkmoth
- Hyles tithymali gecki de Freina, 1991 -- Barbary Spurge hawkmoth
- Hyles tithymali phaelipae Gil-T. & Gil-Uceda, 2012 -- Barbary Spurge hawkmoth
- Hyles tithymali himyarensis Meerman, 1988 -- Barbary Spurge hawkmoth
- Hyles tithymali 'sammuti' Eitschberger, Danner & Surholt, 1998 -- Barbary Spurge hawkmoth
- Hyles 'cretica' Eitschberger, Danner & Surholt, 1998 -- Cretan Spurge hawkmoth
- Hyles dahlii (Geyer, [1828]) -- Smoky Spurge hawkmoth
- Hyles nervosa (Rothschild & Jordan, 1903) -- Ladakh hawkmoth
- Hyles salangensis (Ebert, 1969) -- Salang hawkmoth
- Hyles stroehlei Eitschberger, Danner & Surholt, 1998 -- Hindu Kush hawkmoth
- Hyles centralasiae (Staudinger, 1887) -- Eastern Foxtail-lily hawkmoth
- Hyles siehei (Püngeler, 1903) -- Western Foxtail-lily hawkmoth
- Hyles svetlana Shovkoon, 2010 -- Desert Foxtail-lily hawkmoth
- Hyles gallii (Rottemburg, 1775) -- Bedstraw hawkmoth
- Hyles nicaea nicaea (de Prunner, 1798) -- Greater Spurge hawkmoth
- Hyles nicaea castissima (Austaut, 1883) -- Greater Spurge hawkmoth
- Hyles nicaea sheljuzkoi (Dublitzky, 1928) -- Greater Spurge hawkmoth
- Hyles nicaea orientalis (Austaut, 1905) -- Greater Spurge hawkmoth
- Hyles nicaea lathyrus (Walker, 1856) -- Greater Spurge hawkmoth
- Hyles zygophylli (Ochsenheimer, 1808) -- Bean-caper hawkmoth
- Hyles vespertilio (Esper, 1780) -- Bat hawkmoth
- Hyles hippophaes hippophaes (Esper, 1789) -- Seabuckthorn hawkmoth
- Hyles hippophaes bienerti (Staudinger, 1874) -- Seabuckthorn hawkmoth
- Hyles chamyla (Denso, 1913) -- Dogbane hawkmoth
- Hyles livornica (Esper, 1780) -- Striped hawkmoth
GENUS Deilephila [Laspeyres], 1809
GENUS Hippotion Hübner, [1819]
GENUS Theretra Hübner, [1819]
Note: The Oriental species Ambulyx lahora (Butler, [1875]) has been collected once in eastern Afghanistan (Bashgal Kamu, Nuristan, 15.iv.1971, leg. C. Naumann). This is outside the range of this work.
Note: The Afrotropical species Hippotion balsaminae (Walker, 1856) has been recorded from the Hoggar Mountains of Algeria (Eitschberger, Mooser & Müller, 2014). This is outside the range of this work.
Coverage and sources
This work is a detailed study of the species and subspecies of Sphingidae that occur regularly within the zoogeographical boundaries of the western Palaearctic region, with particular emphasis on their ecology and dynamic biogeography: notes on their morphology and taxonomy are also provided. The Hyles euphorbiae 'complex' is analysed in more detail with regard to ecological and biological factors. With about 71 percent of the region's sphingid taxa being endemic, the treatment of the western Palaearctic as a distinct sub-region of the Holarctic is justified. The zoological and botanical delimitation of the sub-region is given and a small gazetteer is provided.
The four main published sources of information for this web site were/are:
PITTAWAY, A. R. (1993). The hawkmoths of the western Palaearctic, 240pp., 13 pls. London & Colchester, UK: Harley Books.
PITTAWAY, A. R. (1995). Sphingidae of the western Palaearctic: their ecology and biogeography. PhD Thesis, Imperial College, University of London, UK.
KITCHING, I. J. & CADIOU, J.-M. (2000). Hawkmoths of the world; an annotated and illustrated revisionary checklist (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae), x + 227pp., 8 pls. Ithaca & London, USA & UK: Cornell University Press.
KITCHING, I. J. (2019). Sphingidae Taxonomic Inventory --- STI. London, UK: NHMUK.
References
Many references were consulted in the preparation of this work; these are listed in the reference section. Additionally, this work would have been difficult to produce without the help, advice and guidance received from many people in many ways. These are acknowledged in the acknowledgements section.
What's new
Find out what's been added or changed.
Links to other sites of interest
A list of internet sites dealing with Sphingidae and Lepidoptera in general.
Moths of the moment
Sphinx franckii Neumoegen, 1893 -- Franck's Sphinx.
Sphinx perelegans Henry Edwards, 1874 -- Elegant Sphinx.
National Moth Week.
Last updated on: 15 September 2024
Site created: 29 March 1997
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This reference can be quoted in publications as: Pittaway, A.R. (2024). Sphingidae of the Western Palaearctic (including Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, western Siberia and western Central Asia). https://tpittaway.tripod.com/sphinx/list.htm. [Site accessed: ]
Tony Pittaway
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