Agrius (moth)
Hornworm ( Agrius convolvuli )
Agrius is a genus of butterfly family of moth ( Sphingidae ). The species of the genus are almost all located in the tropics and subtropics, only the tobacco hornworm ( Agrius convolvuli ) colonized the warm south of the Western Palearctic year round.
Features
The moths are not as strongly built as the similar genus Acherontia and have narrower forewings than this. Some species are vividly colored and have pink hind wings and on the abdomen of a drawing of pink and black napkins. The proboscis can be up to times as long as the body is tapered and 2.5 to the tip. In the male the antennae are up to the hook-shaped curved tip of uniform thickness, the probe tips of the females are slightly thickened club-shaped. The abdomen tapers to the rear. The tarsi are slender, not compressed. The tarsi of the middle and posterior pair of legs have on the bottom of the first link a basal tuft of hair. The tibiae of the hind legs have two pairs of spurs. The genus can be distinguished sure of the closest relatives of the genus Manduca by a number of characteristics of the genitals.
The eggs are very small relative to the size of the moths. They are spherical and shine bright blue-green to the tray.
The caterpillars are the same as those of the genus Acherontia in their coloration variable, but have a squat, smooth Analhorn, which is upright and slightly curved upwards. The head capsule is large and oval. The body has on the abdomen laterally oblique stripes or carries longitudinal lines.
The dolls are smooth, shiny and different brown. The proboscis is striking eingeringelt and separated from the body. The cremaster is large and has two closely related, short tip ends.
Way of life
The caterpillars feed mainly on the leaves of shrubs and herbaceous plants of wind plants ( Convolvulaceae ), legumes ( Fabaceae ) and Borage Family ( Boraginaceae ). Pupation takes place in a chamber in the soil.
System
In Europe, the genus Acherontia is represented only by the tobacco hornworm; worldwide are six species of the genus known:
- Hornworm ( Agrius convolvuli ) (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Agrius cingulate (Fabricius, 1775)
- Agrius cordiae Riotte, 1984
- Agrius luctifera (Walker, 1865)
- Agrius godarti ( Macleaey, 1826)
- Agrius Rothschildi Kitching & Cadiou, 2000