Hyles nervosa
Hyles nervosa is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of moth ( Sphingidae ).
- 5.1 Notes and references
Features
The moths have a wingspan of 68-87 millimeters. In the males, the tegulae are fringed white, the abdomen has only two black lateral spots and the edge of the tergites is centered not colored white along the back. Dorsal are the wing veins of the forewing in the post Disk Alber calibration tightened white.
The eggs are almost spherical and have seen a pale green color, which she euphorbiae the eggs of Hyles euphorbiae similar.
The caterpillars are 80 mm long. They are initially four millimeters long and have an off-white color with a black Analhorn and well colored head. In the second stage occurs also in the last stage predominant coloring: The caterpillars are mainly black with small, white to pale - yellow spots. On both sides of the back runs a line from each eye a white spot per segment. This runs from the white dotted head to the deep black Analhorn. Carapace, Nachschieber and abdominal legs are black and center back runs from head to Analhorn an unbroken as black vertical line. Ventrolateral also runs a line of medium-sized yellow spots. Unlike the spurge hawkmoth coloring of caterpillars is little or no variable.
The doll is about 45 millimeters long and looks of the spurge hawkmoth very similar. Her head, thorax, and the elytra are colored but pale green.
Occurrence
The species occurs in eastern Afghanistan, on the north- west of India, in northern Pakistan and in the far west of Tibet. It is only being distributed locally, but can occur in very high numbers of individuals. In the Kashmir region they are found 2500-3000 meters above sea level where herbaceous spurge species grow.
Way of life
The species apparently occurs in three generations per year from March to May June and July and in September. The caterpillars can be found from April to October, with the maximum of June to August.
Food plants of the caterpillars
The caterpillars feed on herbaceous spurge species ( Euphorbia ).
Development
The females lay their eggs in small groups of up to 20 on young shoots of the food plants from. The caterpillars live socially and migrate together from a bare eaten plant to the next. They eat quite open, they tend almost fully grown to on the stems of food plants to rest close to the ground. In case of failure the caterpillars choke all together produces a green liquid. This behavior is believed to protect against tachinid parasitoid, although such are not known to the species. Overwintering takes place as a doll.