Hyles nicaea
Encyclopedia
The Mediterranean Hawk-moth (Hyles nicaea) is a moth
of the Sphingidae
family. 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
.
The wingspan
is 80-100 mm. Adults are on wing in June in one generation. At times there is a partial second generation in August. Subspecies castissima is on wing from May to June and from July to August in two generations. Subspecies orientalis is on wing from June to July in one generation. Subspecies sheljuzkoi is on wing in May and July/August in two to three generations.
The larvae feed on Euphorbia species, including Euphorbia nicaeensis. Subspecies orientalis feeds on Euphorbia petrophila and Euphorbia seguieriana and sheljuzkoi has been recorded on Euphorbia oxydonta in Jordan.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Sphingidae
Sphingidae
Sphingidae is a family of moths , commonly known as hawk moths, sphinx moths and hornworms, that includes about 1,200 species . It is best represented in the tropics but there are species in every region . They are moderate to large in size and are distinguished among moths for their rapid,...
family. The nominate subspecies is found from southern Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
though southern Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. It is also found on the Balearic Islands
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are an archipelago of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.The four largest islands are: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain with Palma as the capital...
and in south-western Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 80-100 mm. Adults are on wing in June in one generation. At times there is a partial second generation in August. Subspecies castissima is on wing from May to June and from July to August in two generations. Subspecies orientalis is on wing from June to July in one generation. Subspecies sheljuzkoi is on wing in May and July/August in two to three generations.
The larvae feed on Euphorbia species, including Euphorbia nicaeensis. Subspecies orientalis feeds on Euphorbia petrophila and Euphorbia seguieriana and sheljuzkoi has been recorded on Euphorbia oxydonta in Jordan.
Subspecies
- Hyles nicaea nicaea
- Hyles nicaea lathyrus (eastern AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, north-western IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Xizang) - Hyles nicaea castissima (Atlas mountainsAtlas MountainsThe Atlas Mountains is a mountain range across a northern stretch of Africa extending about through Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. The highest peak is Toubkal, with an elevation of in southwestern Morocco. The Atlas ranges separate the Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines from the Sahara Desert...
of North Africa) - Hyles nicaea sheljuzkoi (LebanonLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
and northern IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
to western XinjiangXinjiangXinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
in China) - Hyles nicaea orientalis (southern CrimeaCrimeaCrimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
and western Transcaucasia)