Theretra oldenlandiae

Impatiens hawk moth
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Sphingidae
Genus:	Theretra
Species:	T. oldenlandiae
Binomial name
Theretra oldenlandiae (Fabricius, 1775)[1]
Synonyms
Sphinx oldenlandiae Fabricius, 1775 Sphinx drancus Cramer, 1777 Deilephila proxima Austaut, 1892 Deilephila argentata Stevens, 1828 Chaerocampa sobria Walker, 1856 Chaerocampa puellaris Butler, 1876 Theretra oldenlandiae fuscata Gehlen, 1941 Theretra oldenlandiae olivascens Inoue, 1973 Chaerocampa argentata Butler, 1875 Chaerocampa firmata Walker, 1856 Sphinx oldenlandiae lewini Thon, 1828

Theretra oldenlandiae, the impatiens hawkmoth or taro hornworm, is a member of the family Sphingidae found in India, Sri Lanka, China, Borneo, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, and Australia.^[2]

Description

The species differs from lycetus in being greyish brown without pink suffusion and the two dorsal lines on abdomen silvery white. There are also oblique stripes on forewing and the sides of abdomen is ochreous, not golden. Hindwing with the submarginal band ochreous and narrow. Larva is pale purplish brown in color. There is a yellow subdorsal line and white spots with a pale lateral line below them on the thoracic somites. Black-ringed ocelli can be seen on 4th to 10th somites, where the first two centered with blue, and posterior with purple. In the early instars, posterior ocelli are centered with crimson color with dorsal bands of yellow specks.^[3] The species is found in open lowland habitats.^[4]

Agriculture

They are often considered a pest on both busy lizzie (Impatiens wallerana) and fuchsias (fuchsia sp.). Caterpillars of this species have also been seen feeding on arum lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica), Argentine trumpet vine (Clytostoma callistegioides), climbing guinea flower (Hibbertia scandens), billy goat plum (Planchonia careya), godetia (Clarkia amoena), star cluster (Pentas lanceolata), Australian native violet (Viola hederacea) and slender grape (Cayratia clematidea). The larvae are black with yellow dots, they have a small spine on their tails and use it as a mimicked head. Before pupating the caterpillar will reach a length of about 70 mm.^[5]

The adult is brown with light brown stripes down the thorax. The stripes are mimicked on the inner margin of the forewing.^[6]

Subspecies

• Theretra oldenlandiae oldenlandiae (from Sri Lanka and southern India north to northern Pakistan, northern Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar. Then northeastwards through China to Taiwan, South Korea and Japan, and then southeastwards through South East Asia as far as the Andaman Islands, the Solomon Islands and the Philippines. Strongly migratory northward to northeastern China (Heilongjiang, Liaoning and Jilin), eastern Russia (Primorskiy Kray) and northern Japan)
• Theretra oldenlandiae lewini (Thon, 1828) (Australia)
• Theretra oldenlandiae samoana Gehlen, 1941 (Samoa)

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  Larva

References

1. "CATE Creating a Taxonomic eScience - Sphingidae". Cate-sphingidae.org. Retrieved 2011-10-25.
2. Pittaway, A.R. & Kitching, I.J. "Taro hornworm/White-banded hunter hawkmoth". Sphingidae of the Eastern Palaearctic species list. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
3. Hampson G. F. (1892). "The Fauna of British India Including Ceylon and Burma Moths Vol-i". Digital Library of India. p. 558. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
4. "Theretra oldenlandiae Fabricius". The Moths of Borneo. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
5. "Theretra oldenlandiae". Butterfly House. 19 July 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
6. "Theretra oldenlandiae". Archived from the original on October 11, 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-31.