Dolbina grisea
Dolbina grisea is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of moth ( Sphingidae ). Only a few specimens of this species have been caught, even if it is not to be rare in eastern Afghanistan. In light catches very few females are documented.
Features
The moths have a wingspan of 50 to 64 millimeters. They have white and gray patterned forewings, on which a white, dark edged Diskalfleck and an earned by two fine, jagged dark binding band in the Postdiskalregion. The hind wings are gray. Some animals from less temperature- favored areas or those who have experienced colder weather during their development, a darker color than usual.
The egg is spherical and measures two millimeters in diameter. It is colored pale green or blue-green.
The caterpillars are 43-56 mm long. Initially, the five to 12 millimeters long caterpillars are yellowish- green and have a two millimeter long brown Analhorn. They carry two pale whitish lines on the back and have a roundish head. In the second stage, they are 12 to 15 millimeters long. You can see the caterpillars of the poplar hawkmoth ( Laothoe populi ) are very similar and have an equally triangular shaped head. The four millimeters long Analhorn is yellowish - green. The provided with fine tubercles is pale green and has ever a conspicuous yellowish white longitudinal line on either side of the back, and seven oblique lateral stripes on the abdomen. In the third stage, the staining is similar to the second. In the fourth stage, the body is apple green and densely covered with fine yellow tubercles. The seven sloping verges are bold yellow, similar to the dorso -lateral longitudinal lines, which extend from the head to the third abdominal segment. The triangular head is green, with yellow cheeks. The abdominal legs are pink, the Analhorn is greenish - yellow and has a green top, as well as fine yellow tubercles. In the fifth stage, they are colored similarly, however, the body turns more and more to the sides bluish- gray. In some individuals the tubercles instead of yellow can also be white. Before pupation, the animals turn brown.
The doll is 28 to 32 millimeters long. It is glossy dark brown and has reddish- brown abdominal segments. The 1.5- millimeter-long cremaster is cylindrical and ends in a double peak.
Occurrence
The species is currently known only from northern Pakistan, Kashmir, eastern Afghanistan, Tajikistan, the west of Hissargebirges in southern Uzbekistan and of the more temperate foothills of the Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh in India. They colonized temperate mountain forests, including juniper stands.
Way of life
The moths fly in early April and early June to August. Sometimes they fly depending on the altitude and from late September to early October. The kind probably is made up of two or three generations per year. For Tajikistan, the caterpillars are detected at River Ash ( Fraxinus potamophila ). The pupa overwinters. Parasitoids of the species are not yet known.