Hyles nicaea
{{Italic title}}
{{short description|Species of moth}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Mediterranean hawk-moth
| image = Hyles nicaea nicaea MHNT CUT 2010 0 187 Aiguines Var female.jpg
| image_caption =
| taxon = Hyles nicaea
| authority = (de Prunner, 1798){{cite web|url=https://www.cate-sphingidae.org/taxonomy/Hyles/nicaea.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016183356/https://www.cate-sphingidae.org/taxonomy/Hyles/nicaea.html|archivedate=2012-10-16|url-status=dead |title=CATE Creating a Taxonomic eScience - Sphingidae |publisher=Cate-sphingidae.org |accessdate=2011-10-25}}
| synonyms =
- Sphinx nicaea de Prunner, 1798
- Sphinx cyparissiae Hübner, [1813]
- Celerio rubida Oberthür, 1916
- Deilephila nicaea castissima Austaut, 1883
- Deilephila nicaea carnea Austaut, 1889
- Celerio nicaea margine-denticulata Oberthür, 1916
- Celerio nicaea albina Oberthür, 1916
- Celerio nicaea libanotica Gehlen, 1932
- Celerio nicaea sheljuzkoi Dublitzky, 1928
- Deilephila nicaea lathyrus Walker, 1856
- Deilephila nicaea crimaea A. Bang-Haas, 1906
- Deilephila nicaea orientalis Austaut, 1905
}}
Hyles nicaea, the Mediterranean hawk-moth, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Leonardo de Prunner in 1798.
Distribution
The nominate subspecies is found from southern Portugal and Spain though southern Europe to Turkey. It is also found on the Balearic Islands and in south-western Bulgaria.
Description
The wingspan is 80–100 mm.
Hyles nicaea nicaea MHNT CUT 2010 0 187 Aiguines Var female dorsal.jpg|Female Hyles nicaea nicaea
Hyles nicaea nicaea MHNT CUT 2010 0 187 Aiguines Var female ventral.jpg|Female Hyles nicaea nicaea, underside
Hyles nicaea nicaea MHNT CUT 2010 0 187 male Aiguines Var male dorsal.jpg|Male Hyles nicaea nicaea
Hyles nicaea nicaea MHNT CUT 2010 0 187 male Aiguines Var male ventral.jpg|Male Hyles nicaea nicaea, underside
Biology
Adults are on wing in June in one generation. At times there is a partial second generation in August. Subspecies H. n. castissima is on wing from May to June and from July to August in two generations. Subspecies H. n. orientalis is on wing from June to July in one generation. Subspecies H. n. sheljuzkoi is on wing in May and July/August in two to three generations.
The larvae feed on Euphorbia species, including Euphorbia nicaeensis. Subspecies H. n. orientalis feeds on Euphorbia petrophila and Euphorbia seguieriana and H. n. sheljuzkoi has been recorded on Euphorbia oxydonta in Jordan.
Subspecies
- Hyles nicaea nicaea
- Hyles nicaea lathyrus (eastern Afghanistan, north-western India and Xizang)
- Hyles nicaea castissima (Atlas Mountains of North Africa)
- Hyles nicaea sheljuzkoi (Lebanon and northern Israel to western Xinjiang in China)
- Hyles nicaea orientalis (southern Crimea and western Transcaucasia)
Hyles nicaea castissima MHNT CUT 2010 0 187 Tlemcen Algerie Female dorsal.jpg|Female Hyles nicaea castissima
Hyles nicaea castissima MHNT CUT 2010 0 187 Tlemcen Algerie Female ventral.jpg|Female Hyles nicaea castissima, underside
Gallery
File:Hyles nicaea, larva 01.jpg|A Hyles nicaea caterpillar on the southern slopes of the Alborz Mountains, near Jaban, Damavand, Iran, at 2870 m elevation in alpine scrubland.
File:Hyles nicaea, larva 02.jpg|In the same location
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commonscat}}
- [http://www.leps.it/indexjs.htm?SpeciesPages/HylesNicaea.htm Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa]
- {{cite web |last1=Pittaway |first1=A. R. |last2=Kitching |first2=I. J. |url=http://tpittaway.tripod.com/china/h_she.htm |title=Hyles nicaea sheljuzkoi (Dublitzky, 1928) -- Greater spurge hawkmoth |website=Sphingidae of the Eastern Palaearctic |accessdate=December 15, 2018}}
- [http://www.lepiforum.de/lepiwiki.pl?Hyles_Nicaea Lepiforum e.V.]
{{Taxonbar |from=Q310174}}
Category:Moths described in 1798
Category:Taxa named by Leonardo De Prunner
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