Daphnis nerii
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| Oleander Hawkmoth (female) In Mangaon, Maharashtra, India | |
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D. nerii
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| Daphnis nerii |
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Sphinx nerii Linnaeus, 1758 |
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Daphnis nerii (formerly Deilephila nerii), known as the oleander hawk-moth or army green moth, is a moth of the Sphingidae family.
Contents
Distribution
Daphnis nerii is a large hawk-moth found in wide areas of Africa and Asia. It is a migratory species, flying to parts of eastern and southern Europe during the summer, particularly Turkey.
Feeding habits
The adults feed on nectar of a great variety of flowers. They have a preference for fragrant species like petunia, jasmine and honeysuckle. They are especially active in the twilight time, hovering over the flowers after sunset.
The caterpillars feed mainly on oleander (Nerium oleander) leaves, a highly toxic plant, to which the caterpillars are immune. They also may feed on most plants of the Dogbane family, such as Adenium obesum, Tabernaemontana divaricata and Alstonia scholaris in India.
Life cycle
Newly hatched oleander hawk-moth larvae are three to four millimetres in length, bright yellow, and have a black, elongated ‘horn’ on the rear of the body.[3][2] As they get older, the larvae become green to brown with a large blue-and-white eyespot near the head and a yellow ‘horn’ on the rear.[3][2][4] There is also a white band along the side of the body, with a scattering of small white and bluish dots alongside it. The spiracles on the sides of the body are black.[2][4] Older oleander hawk-moth larvae measure around 7.5 to 8.5 centimetres in length.[4]
Just before it pupates, the oleander hawk-moth larva becomes browner in colour. The pupa of this species measures around 5.5 to 7.5 centimetres in length, and is light brown with black spots and a black line down the middle.[2][4]
The pupa is pale reddish or brownish-white and has a wax-like appearance. It lies directly on the earth, under moss or dry leaves.
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Daphnis.jpg
This Daphnis Nerii was spotted near Kolkata, India on 3 December 2015
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Daphnis nerii caterpillar 02.jpg
Caterpillar
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Oleander Hawk-moth or Army Green Moth Caterpillar at Behala Kolkata.jpg
Oleander Hawk Moth Caterpillar at Behala Kolkata
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Oleander Hawk Moth caterpillar just before pupation.jpg
Oleander hawk moth caterpillar just before pupating
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Oleander hawkmoth pupa.jpg
Pupa
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Daphnis Nerii Caterpillar 20130715123724.jpg
Oleander hawk moth Caterpillar
Related species
- Daphnis hypothous, found in South and Southeast Asia. Distinguished by a white spot at the forewing apex.[5]
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. A.R. Pittaway
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Moore, A. and Miller, R.H. (2008) Daphnis nerii (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae), a new pest of oleander on Guam, including notes on plant hosts and egg parasitism. Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society, 40: 67-70.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Leong, T.M. and D’Rozario, V. (2009) Final instar larvae and metamorphosis of the oleander hawkmoth, Daphnis nerii (Linnaeus) in Singapore (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae: Macroglossinae). Nature in Singapore, 2: 297-306.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Sphingidae of the Eastern Palaearctic - Daphnis hypothus http://tpittaway.tripod.com/china/d_hyp.htm
External links
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